


On My Honor

by wingsoficarus



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Angst, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, M/M, Male Sheik (Legend of Zelda), Mostly Canon Compliant, Sheik (Legend of Zelda) is a Separate Character, Sheik is angry and Link just wants to help, Sheikah lore, Slow Burn, Tags May Change, The Sheikah training process could probably be labeled as child abuse, Zelda is the ultimate wingwoman, it's only vaguely mentioned though, okay that's a tiny lie but not too much is changed
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:46:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 51,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27275155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wingsoficarus/pseuds/wingsoficarus
Summary: "I hate you, Link. I hate you and everything you stand for."A Sheikah who has trained his whole life to be appointed as the Princess's knight, a Hylian who never asked to be a hero, and the Princess who doesn't believe she needs either of them to protect her.What could go wrong?[ covers pre and post Calamity ]
Relationships: Link/Sheik (Legend of Zelda)
Comments: 43
Kudos: 99





	1. prologue

Guard duty was notorious among the soldiers and lower ranked knights in the Hylian Army as being exceedingly boring. However tempting it may be to doze off while on duty, many knew better. After all, the Commander was awfully fond of making surprise inspections of the guard’s station at the gate of Hyrule Castle. 

It was a quiet morning. The sun had risen roughly an hour ago, and many townsfolk were just beginning to go about their days. Overall, nothing in the town below or the Castle above betrayed just how important this day would be. 

The two soldiers on duty shared a tired glance and then returned their gazes to the road leading to Castle Town. They had been on duty for hours now, and their relief was due at any minute. 

Tired as they were, they nearly didn’t notice the silver-haired woman striding towards the Castle with a determined look on her face and a young child at her side. At first glance, the child appeared to be a young, blonde-haired Hylian boy no older than four years old. They were both dressed in fairly standard traveling attire: simple cloth shirts and pants. Normally, travelers chose to add a sturdy hooded cloak to this ensemble, but both of them were wearing scarves instead. 

However, when his eyes met those of the guard standing on the right side of the gate, he was startled to see that the boy’s eyes were red. 

So the boy was a Sheikah, which meant that the woman at his side was none other than Commander Impa. Both guards snapped to attention and allowed her and the boy to pass without incident, though they were incredibly curious as to why the Commander was dressed in civilians’ attire and walking with a Sheikah child. 

As Impa walked through the gates of Hyrule Castle, she heard a soft exclamation of surprise from the young boy beside her. 

“Aunt Impa, is this where my parents work?” he asked, childish wonder coloring his voice. 

Impa glanced down at her nephew. He was staring up at the castle in amazement, transfixed by the sheer scale of it. He was only four years old and had never been outside of Kakariko Village before, so it made sense that he was in awe. She had spent the majority of her life here, and as a result, the novelty had worn off. “Yes.”

“Can I see them?” her nephew asked excitedly. 

“No. Your father is very busy today, and your mother is away on a mission.” Impa replied curtly. 

“Oh.” His face fell. “Why are we here, then?”

“We’re here to meet someone very important. You must be on your best behavior, Sheik.” 

He didn’t respond, but Impa knew he had gotten the message. 

The rest of the walk to the Sanctum was silent. Sheik was busy taking in as much of his surroundings as possible. Several people had to do a double take as they walked by the duo- many were unaccustomed to seeing the Commander in plain clothes or walking alongside a child. The first time they walked past someone else, Sheik reached for the scarf that was wound around his neck. Recognizing the action as one of his nervous tells, Impa sighed internally. She glanced at him and whispered “Relax. There is nothing to fear here.” in a low voice. 

The duo reached the Sanctum, where the King and his wife were already waiting. At the queen's side stood a young Hylian girl with long, stunningly blonde hair and blue-green eyes. 

“Commander Impa. I trust the trip out to Kakariko went well?” King Rhoam asked, nodding his head briefly in acknowledgment of Impa’s presence. 

“Yes. My nephew was quite excited to learn that he would be making the trip back with me.” Impa bowed briefly, then straightened up again and placed her hand on Sheik’s head. He muttered something in Sheikah under his breath but he didn’t move her hand. 

“So this is Sheik. I’ve heard a bit about you from both of your parents. They are quite proud of you so far.” King Rhoam said. His eyes twinkled with amusement as he studied the young boy. “You’re only four years old, correct?”

“Yes, sir.” Sheik replied in slightly hesitant Hylian. 

“You speak Hylian already? I can see why you’re the leader of your age group.”

“I’ve… been practicing.” Sheik said. He stood up a bit straighter as he spoke, clearly trying to appear impressive. 

“This is my daughter, Zelda.” The King beckoned the little girl forward, smiling reassuringly at her as he did so. 

“As you are already aware, you are the leader of your age group in training. Our family has long held the honor of being the personal knights of the Royal Family. Your parents and I thought it would be a good idea for you to meet Princess Zelda, who you will likely be defending one day.” Impa said. 

“Thank you.” Sheik looked startled by the truth of the trip, but he didn’t voice any of his doubts. Knowing him, he had plenty, and Impa would likely hear all about it later. Mentally, she sighed. Children were not her favorite people to deal with.

Zelda, who had been watching him with a mixture of fear and curiosity in her eyes, approached him and held out her hand. Carefully, in Sheikah just like she had practiced with Sheik’s mother, she said “It’s nice to meet you. My name is Zelda.”

“I speak Hylian, Princess.” Sheik responded, using the princess’s native language to do so. 

“Oh.”

“But I am grateful that you used my native language. Not many like you choose to be respectful. At least, that’s what my parents say.” Almost as an afterthought, he added “My name is Sheik.”

He had zero preparation for this meeting, unlike the princess. And yet he was doing remarkably well. Impa was impressed, to say the least. 

“That’s an interesting name. But it’s not very original.” Zelda remarked. 

“Neither is yours.”

“Mine has a Z.”

“But there’s been 80 gajillion princesses named Zelda.” Sheik protested. 

“No, that’s way too many.”

“Still. You’ve got a lot of people who have had your name. My name isn’t very popular.”

“Yeah, but you’re a Sheikah named Sheik. That’s not very original.”

Sheik scoffed. “So what? It’s traditional.”

“So is mine!”

The two blondes stared at each other for a good minute or so. Finally, Sheik started laughing. Zelda followed suit, and they high-fived each other. 

“Friends?” Zelda asked once she had calmed down enough to speak. 

“Yep.” Sheik nodded enthusiastically and brushed his bangs out of his eyes. 

The three adults observing the conversation shared a perplexed glance. Impa had been about to step in and scold Sheik for arguing with the princess, but now it appeared to be unnecessary. 

Beside Impa, the queen smiled and said “It’s good to see that they’re getting along well already.” 

Impa nodded, watching her nephew and the princess closely. “Yes. I had my doubts, but I see that I didn’t need to worry.”

The queen regarded the Sheikah with some surprise. “On your nephew’s end or Zelda’s?”

“To be honest? Both.” 

Sheik glanced back at his aunt, a mischievous gleam in his eyes. “Hey, Zelda… tag! You’re it!” He dashed forward and tapped her shoulder, then pivoted and started running the other way. 

“What? Hey!” Zelda blinked in surprise, caught off guard by the sudden tap on her shoulder. By this point, Sheik was already halfway across the room. “Not fair! You’re not wearing a dress!” 

He just laughed and kept running. “Try to catch me anyway!”

The two blondes ran around the Sanctum while Impa talked with the two royals. Zelda managed to catch him once, but only because Sheik felt bad for her and allowed himself to get tagged. After that, he gave her the benefit of the doubt and didn’t catch her again right away.

Following this initial meeting, Sheik and Zelda met up fairly regularly for two years. 

And then the Yiga Clan assassinated Zelda’s mother, killing both of Sheik’s parents in the process. 

From that point on, Sheik was raised by his aunt. He threw himself into his training, pushing himself harder than he ever had. At only six years old, he was nowhere near old enough to enlist in Hyrule’s army. 

In the years that followed, Sheik didn’t return to the castle once. He swore that he would only return once he was deemed worthy of the position of Princess Zelda’s personal knight. 

It was ten years before he stepped foot in Hyrule Castle’s winding halls once more.


	2. knight

The sun hadn't yet risen when the young man slipped out of his borrowed room in the castle and snuck through the halls, his feet barely making a sound on the worn grey stone beneath his feet.

He ought to be sleeping at this hour, but the force of habit born from years of rising with or even before the sun was hard to break. And even if he gained a brief respite from this self-imposed schedule, he would likely return to it after the ceremony anyways.

His entire life had been building up to this point, and now the day was nearly upon him.

The day he would be appointed to the Royal Guard of Hyrule, serving as Princess Zelda's personal knight.

For the last week, there had been nothing but a second round of assessments conducted by the Captain of the Guard here in Hyrule Castle. He passed these easily, as they were nowhere near as difficult as the tests his aunt had set for him. Thankfully, these assessments had made it easy for him to avoid the princess.

It wasn't like he didn't want to see her, but it had been ten years. The two years they'd spent as friends during their youth were surely outweighed by the ten he had spent pushing everybody away, learning how to forge himself into nothing more than a weapon to be used as the Royal Family saw fit. That had always been his destiny, even before his parents died. But his parents dying had certainly made it easier to embrace it.

Now, he was headed to the top of the castle. There was a little room at the very top of the highest spire, which happened to be an excellent place to get away from everybody. The young man had made it a habit to head up to the room every morning, as a substitute for climbing one of the many mountains around Kakariko Village to watch the sunrise and clear his head.

He could have taken the stairs inside the Sanctum, but that would have been too easy. Instead, going slowly so he didn't make much noise, the young man scaled the outer wall of the Sanctum. It was a relatively easy task, as the bricks provided plenty of hand and footholds. It was a lot easier than the climb he usually made, so it was only a matter of five minutes before he reached the top.

Settling himself on the floor of the small room, the young man exhaled once and then closed his eyes. Here, he would sit for thirty to forty five minutes, completely still save for the gentle rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. Gradually, the sun would rise, and his head would empty of all thought.

Being back in the castle again was unpleasant, to say the least. Somewhere far below him, deep within the castle, his parents and the queen had lost their lives. He would be lying if he said he didn't want revenge against the Yiga for taking so much from him. The first time he'd taken a life, it had been a Yiga who found themselves on the wrong end of his blade.

He had been seven years old at the time.

Many of the adults were impressed by him. Ever since he was small, he'd been at the top of his age group. By the time he turned eight, he was sparring with sixteen to seventeen year olds just so he could have a challenge.

The adults respected him, yes. The other kids his age hated him.

He didn't care what they thought. They had parents who cared about them. He no longer had that, and the only thing close to a parental figure he had was his aunt. And no matter what he did, it never really seemed to be enough for her. Then there was the matter of his other aunt, who was never really around much. She was a lot more relaxed than her younger sister, but she hadn't been the one who took him in.

Inhale, exhale. Focus on the rhythm of your breath. Don't allow petty distractions to dominate your mind.

Slowly, the young man brought his racing mind back under control once more. The fact that he'd allowed himself to think so much before doing so was shameful, even though today was bound to bring distractions.

A Sheikah did not entertain distractions.

Using today's events as an excuse for his wandering mind would not be tolerated. Excuses made people complacent. Complacent people got others or themselves killed.

While the sun rose, he did not allow himself to think about the princess, his aunt, or what today meant.

Once his mind was well and truly empty, and the sun had risen, the young man opened his eyes. He rose to his feet and looked out over Hyrule, the land of his birth and which he was honor-bound to protect.

He studied the landscape a moment longer. This was his favorite time of day- right after the sun rose, bathing Hyrule in its light once more, yet the vast majority of the country still slept. It was an excellent way to put things in perspective, which was part of the reason he liked it so much. With one last glance at the sight before him, he turned and began his descent down the outer wall of the Sanctum. This time, he was a bit quicker, as he didn't exactly want to get caught crawling on the walls like a spider. _That_ would be hard to explain to his aunt.

When he arrived back at his temporary quarters, he discovered his aunt standing in front of his door and looking mildly irritated.

Yeah, he was in trouble.

"Sheik. Where have you been?"

"Out."

"Yes, I'm aware of that. You are aware that your ceremony is today, correct?" His aunt's tone was clipped, which would have unnerved him if he wasn't used to her being displeased with him.

"How could I forget?" Sheik muttered.

"The King wants to see you. Apparently there's been a new development."

Sudden apprehension stabbed through him, but Sheik didn't so much as flinch. "Okay. Where does he want to see me?"

"The Sanctum."

How ironic.

"Alright."

"You're late, so I suggest you get a move on." With that, Impa turned and walked away, presumably to attend to her duties that didn't include scolding her nephew for something extremely petty.

After waiting until he was certain she was out of earshot, Sheik muttered a curse under his breath and started running back to the Sanctum. It was more than a little irritating to be sent back to the Sanctum after he had literally just been there, but there was nothing he could do about it.

When Sheik arrived in the Sanctum, he was startled to see the King consulting with two knights, one of whom wasn't wearing a helmet. The helmetless knight had unkempt blonde hair held back by a simple blue tie, which was highly irregular. Knights were held to a certain standard of personal grooming, right down to their hair. 

But that wasn't what had drawn his attention, despite all appearances to the contrary. 

No, it was the gilded navy blue and gold scabbard strapped to his back. Sunlight winked off of the gold Triforce emblem inlaid on the center of the scabbard, blinding him for a second. The scabbard itself was empty at the moment, but its mere presence could only mean one thing.

The sword that seals the darkness had been drawn. Meaning that the knight without a helmet standing with his back to Sheik was the prophesied Hero who would save Hyrule from Calamity Ganon.

"Ah, Sheik. There you are." King Rhoam finally noticed him standing there and beckoned him forward. "I was beginning to wonder where you were."

"I was... otherwise occupied." Sheik replied shortly. He had a feeling he knew where this was going, and he didn't like it.

"As I'm sure you've noticed, Link here has drawn the Master Sword." King Rhoam said, nodding his head at the knight who held the legendary sword at his side.

Sheik didn't glance over at the knight or the blade he held.

"Seeing as he is the chosen hero, I believe it would be wise to appoint him as Zelda's personal knight."

There it was.

"...I see." was all Sheik could manage in response, his hands balling into fists at his sides. With some effort, he forced his hands to lie flat once more, though they were shaking slightly. "And what will you do with me?"

"You will assist the Hero in his duties, but you will not be specifically Zelda's knight."

Each word seemed to settle on Sheik's shoulders like a stone. The feeling was not unlike the time his aunt had tied two considerably-sized weights to his wrists and subsequently shoved him into the small pool of water near the Elder's House. That particular exercise had been to teach him how to swim even when encumbered with gear or weapons. It hadn't been much fun at the time, seeing as he'd nearly drowned, but even that was nothing compared to this.

"The ceremony will still commence as planned, though it will be at the Sacred Grounds instead of here in the Sanctum." King Rhoam continued.

"So I will be, in effect, the Hero's _assistant?_ " Sheik asked, a slight edge creeping into his voice. He hadn't looked directly at the hero, because he feared that if he did, he would do something exceedingly stupid.

The King appeared to consider this for a moment, and then nodded. "Yes, you could look at it that way. You will still be made a knight of the Royal Guard, but not in the position you were initially going to claim."

"Very well." Sheik bowed his head. It was a considerable effort to appear as the very picture of perfect obedience, like he'd trained to be. After all, it would not do to let the king or the Hero know just how badly this news had shaken him. "Is that all you wanted to see me for?"

"Yes. All three of you are dismissed. Link, Sheik, take some time to go over the expected protocol for the ceremony. Captain Kiel, make sure the men don't spend too much time gossiping today. Every day counts, now that the Master Sword has been drawn. The Calamity cannot be far behind."

Sheik didn't bother waiting a second longer after being dismissed. He turned and walked out of the Sanctum, blind rage rushing through his body.

His duty was to the Royal Family, and by extension the Hero. The Goddess had tasked his people with the protection of Hyrule from the shadows.

But that didn't mean he had to _like_ being forced into a role other than what he'd been born for. And it certainly didn't mean he had to _like_ the Hero coming in and taking _everything_ he'd worked for just because he'd drawn the Blade of Evil's Bane.

Sheik was a man of honor, so he would not act against the Hero. Like it or not, the Hero was Hyrule's last hope. And so Sheik would have to keep him alive.

He hardly paid attention to his surroundings, walking through the castle on autopilot. Once he reached his room, he closed the door behind him with a little more force than was necessary and grabbed the dusty book he'd been told to read from in order to prepare for the ceremony.

It was no use. His eyes skipped over the page, not comprehending any of the words written there. Which didn't actually matter, considering he'd already memorized his part. He'd debated memorizing what the princess would say just for kicks, but he ultimately hadn't gotten around to it. And he sure as hell wasn't going to do it now. This was just to give him something to do. Something to focus on, other than his anger.

His aunt would likely have a lot to say about this sudden change. It wasn't uncommon for a Hylian to be appointed as the personal knight of a member of the Royal Family, but picking one over a Sheikah who had passed each and every test thrown at them with flying colors? Impa would likely see it as a failure on Sheik's part and blame it on him.

Sheik sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He'd be getting lectured later for sure.

Funny how this day had only just started, and yet it promised to be one of the most frustrating days he'd ever had to sit through.


	3. thief

Zelda had tried to talk to him no less than three times while Sheik accompanied her to the Sanctum, as per Impa's orders. If it had been left up to him, he wouldn't have gone anywhere near the princess. Still brooding over what had happened with the King and the Hero earlier, Sheik wasn't very talkative. Well, he wasn't very talkative under normal circumstances. Now he just refused to say a word.

The princess carried a stack of blue cloth in her arms, which had all been carefully folded. Resting on top was a blue scarf with a white design that looked like a stylized version of Vah Medoh, the Divine Beast piloted by Revali of Rito Village. These were for the Champions, of course. Their uniforms for the duty they would perform. Seeing as they were all of different species, they couldn't exactly be outfitted in a uniform set of armor. So, according to each Champion's culture, they would wear a blue piece of clothing.

"Are you angry?" Zelda asked quietly. "If you're angry, I'll shut up."

"What do you think?" Sheik snapped. The first words he'd spoken to her in ten years, and it was out of anger. It was oddly fitting, he supposed.

True to her word, Zelda didn't say a word for the rest of their walk to the Sanctum. This was Sheik's third damn trip there today, and it was really starting to get on his nerves. The knighting ceremony's location had been changed yet again exactly an hour ago, seeing as Chief Urbosa had finally arrived from Gerudo Desert and the King wanted to hold a ceremony officially appointing the Champions as, well, the Champions. The current plan was to have the Champions honored, then Sheik knighted immediately afterward. Once that was done with, they would go to the Sacred Grounds for yet another ceremony.

All this screwing with the routine had only added to Sheik's frustration. He hadn't been able to sneak away to the training grounds, so all his aggression was just getting bottled up inside him. Which was decidedly not good. He was going to have to sit through hours of the typical courtly nonsense that accompanied all the ceremonies that were happening today, and he'd do it all with an even shorter temper than usual.

Yay.

Zelda sighed quietly as they crossed the threshold of the Sanctum. Two guards, resplendent in the full ceremonial outfit of the Royal Guard, were perched way up on the balcony where the king would stand, but there was no sign of him yet. All five Champions were lined up in a loose semi-circle on the ground floor. Daruk, champion of the Gorons, stood on the far right. Next to him was Mipha, champion of the Zora. In the center stood the Hero, and on his left was the Gerudo Champion, Urbosa. Finally, Revali, champion of the Rito, stood on the far left. Now that Sheik and the princess had arrived, a battalion of knights filed into the Sanctum to stand behind the Champions. The knights were accompanied by four Royal Guards.

Finally, five flag-bearers, carrying royal blue flags adorned with the symbol of each respective race, entered and stood a short distance away from their corresponding Champion.

In Sheik's opinion, this was all highly unnecessary. Why waste so much time on this when it could just be over in the blink of an eye?

Beside him, Zelda hadn't moved to her spot in the center, where the mosaic of the Triforce that was inlaid on the floor awaited her. And since she hadn't moved, Sheik couldn't go stand over by Revali. He was about to say something to her, but it proved to be unnecessary. She started walking, barely even casting a second glance back at him.

Good.

With short, carefully measured steps, Sheik made his way over to Revali and stood a good distance away.

Had the Hero not taken his spot as Zelda's personal knight, he would have been beside the princess in the center. Instead, he stood here. Cast off to the side like garbage. His barely repressed anger very nearly boiled over, but with a great effort he managed to force it back down again.

He was very glad for the way nobody else could see his scowl, due to the mask he wore.

Just get through this. That's all. Easy enough, right?

A sudden round of applause pulled Sheik out of his thoughts. That was probably for the best, because it wouldn't do to have him distracted in the presence of the King of Hyrule. King Rhoam had finally made his appearance, which had prompted the applause.

Rhoam waited for the applause to die down before beginning his speech. Sheik was only half paying attention, his eyes on Zelda. She was his cue- he didn't have to listen to Rhoam as long as he paid attention to the princess. When she started moving to distribute the blue clothing to the Champions, Sheik would wait for her to reach him and then kneel. Rhoam would then go through a short segment about him, he would be told to rise, and he would officially be a knight of Hyrule.

"These blue garments my daughter is now handing you are a symbol of Hyrule's Royal Family and the oath you have all sworn to the crown. She crafted them herself, just as the princess ten thousand years ago once did." Rhoam said, his deep baritone ringing out through the Sanctum. Which was, of course, Zelda's cue. She turned and walked toward Daruk and handed him a neatly folded square of blue cloth. From this far away, Sheik couldn't make out the detailing on the cloth, but that wasn't too important. He already knew what it was, seeing as Daruk was Rudania's pilot.

This process was repeated four more times. Sheik's gaze skipped right over the Hero, his scowl deepening as he barely caught sight of unkempt blonde hair and pointed ears.

Zelda halted in front of him. Sheik knelt and bowed his head, fixing his gaze on the ornate floor of the Sanctum.

"The five Champions will be led by Zelda. Assisting her in this duty will be Sheik Ishida, serving as a knight of the Royal Guard."

Caught by surprise, Sheik looked up. The wording was different from what he'd forced himself to memorize, and it threw him off a bit. Zelda offered him a tiny smile, then held the blue square of cloth she was still holding out to him.

"Do you swear to defend Hyrule until your dying breath?" Zelda asked. She was the one to conduct the ceremony, seeing as he would technically be in her service.

"I swear it on my honor as the only heir of the Ishida name." Sheik responded, his voice carefully measured to remove any lingering anger or resentment.

"Then rise, Sir Ishida."

He did as he was told, smoothly rising to his feet and accepting the folded cloth that the princess now offered to him. It was surprisingly soft, much like the scarf he wore right now. Instead of the emblem of a Divine Beast (or, as in the Hero's case, a stylized version of the Master Sword), the Sheikah eye was embroidered on it in white. Unfolding it revealed that it was a scarf.

So this was his uniform, symbolic of his station as the Hero's _assistant._

Under his mask, Sheik fought to keep his expression neutral. He bowed his head to Zelda and didn't say another word.

Truly the picture of a perfect knight, wasn't he?

After Zelda had returned to her spot in the center of the Sanctum, King Rhoam resumed speaking.

"The might of the Gerudo, the skill of the Rito, the compassion of the Zora, the strength of the Gorons, and the leadership of the Hylians... only together may we hope to prevail. I have faith that you will defend Hyrule from Calamity Ganon." The King spread his hands as he finished speaking, which prompted a roar of approval from the gathered knights. Each Champion and their flag bearer, as well as Sheik and the princess, stayed completely silent.

Now that the official proceedings were finished, King Rhoam dismissed the soldiers. The clanking of armor as they filed out drowned any attempts at further orders, so the king wisely waited until they had left to dismiss anybody else. Sheik tried to sneak off, but a single glance from Zelda halted him in his tracks.

Sheik sighed. If there was one thing he hadn't missed about the princess, it was the way she was overly fond of forcing him into social situations like this. His plan had been to arrive at the Sacred Grounds before the others, which would give him time to cool down a bit before he had to deal with having to act like he was paying attention to the Hero for however long this next ceremony would take. Unfortunately, it looked like Zelda was going to make him walk down there with the five Champions.

He refused to say a single word, even after Urbosa tried to involve him in the conversation. Interestingly enough, Daruk, Zelda, and Urbosa appeared to be the only ones talking. Mipha offered a few words here and there, and Revali sometimes chimed in with a sarcastic remark, but otherwise nothing. The Hero didn't say anything, which only made Sheik more determined to stay silent. Two could play at that game, after all.

Before they reached the Sacred Grounds, all five Champions left to go put on their new uniforms. Sheik had already put his new scarf on, since the mask he wore over the lower half of his face was separate from the scarf itself. Of course, that meant he had to hold the one he'd previously been wearing in his hands, but that had easily been solved by a quick trip to his room.

The fresh air out on Hyrule Field felt so much better than the stiff, almost oppressive atmosphere in Hyrule Castle. The Sacred Grounds were always quiet, no matter what time of day it was or what happened to be going on at the castle. A faint breeze whispered through Sheik's hair, brushing his bangs across his face. He cast his gaze around the space, carefully assessing likely places where an assassin would hide. That was an automatic action now- just one of the many things his aunt or other teachers had drilled into his head.

After finding no threats, Sheik allowed himself to relax ever so slightly. He wasn't completely off guard, because that was dangerous, but he wasn't actively waiting for a fight.

Once again, the Champions lined up. Except for the Hero- he went over to the center, where Zelda was standing, and knelt in front of her without even needing to be told to do so.

Sheik ended up standing next to Urbosa. Daruk was next in line, followed by Revali and then Mipha. The four Champions and Sheik were arranged in a semi-circle, facing the princess and the Hero.

"Hero of Hyrule, chosen by the sword that seals the darkness..." Zelda began, sounding bored out of her skull. Sheik didn't blame her at all. "In drawing the sword, you have shown that you possess a courageous heart and unquestionable skill, despite the odds stacked against you. This has proved you worthy of not only wielding this blade, but also of the blessings of the Goddess Hylia. Whether skyward bound, adrift in time, or steeped in the glowing embers of twilight... the soul of the Hero is forever linked to the sacred blade. We pray for your protection, and that- that the two of you will grow stronger together as one." Her outstretched hand fell to her side as she stumbled over her words. She sighed and studied the Hero, who hadn't so much as looked up when she paused. Zelda raised her hand once more and began speaking again. By this point, Sheik had just started tuning her out. 

The sound of metal clinking drew Sheik's attention away from his thoughts (which had mainly been focused around avoiding looking at the Hero, since he'd made it this far and he certainly wasn't going to stare at the detestable Hylian now.) Daruk had raised his hand to his chin, appearing to be lost in thought. "Geez. She almost sounds like we've lost already." Daruk commented, his gravelly voice kept low as to not disturb the ceremony taking place.

"This was your idea, correct?" Revali whispered snidely. "You're the one who decided we should designate the princess's knight with all this ceremonial nonsense! This whole thing is overkill, if you ask me. I think the princess and I share similar opinions of this... boy."

Sheik scoffed. "Count me on your side. This is ridiculous."

"Oh, so the Sheikah _does_ speak. I was beginning to wonder if you were capable of more than swearing your loyalty to the Royal Family." Revali sneered.

"Words are a powerful weapon. I know better than to waste them, unlike you." was all Sheik said in response. He turned his head and fixed his gaze on the blue-feathered Rito. It was rather satisfying to see him flinch.

"Let it go, you two." Urbosa cut in, glancing over at the two of them. "The princess sees him as a living reminder of her failures. Can you say the same, Revali?"

Revali just huffed, rolled his eyes, and neglected to respond.

With that, the four Champions and Sheik returned their attention to the ceremony. He found his attention straying as it dragged on, and with nothing better to do, his eyes drifted to the Hero. The first time he caught himself doing this, he looked away immediately. But then it happened again. This time, he didn't look away. Better to get a good look at him now.

The Hero looked surprisingly young at first glance. He wasn't heavily built, like some of the knights in the Hyrulean Army, but he definitely did have muscle on his body. Due to the angle his head was at, Sheik couldn't make out too many details of his face. As he'd previously observed, the Hero's hair was dirty blonde and very unruly, especially for a knight like him. Earlier, Urbosa had said he would likely be popular with the ladies now that he was the foremost knight of the kingdom and quite good looking. Now that he'd actually gotten a good look at him, Sheik could definitely see how that would be the case.

For Din's sake, what was he doing?

Finally, Zelda closed out the speech by saying "Rise, Link, Hero of Hyrule."

Link- no, the Hero, since Sheik didn't want to start calling him by his name now- did as he was told and rose to his feet.

-/-/-/-

Roughly four hours later, the sun was just beginning to set and Sheik still hadn't been able to get away from social activities. The Champions, the princess, and he had all been forced to talk to various members of the Hyrulean Court to be congratulated on their new titles and such. They'd only just managed to get away, and now they were half relaxing, half hiding in a gazebo on the castle grounds. By now, Sheik's patience was running dangerously low. The sound of rushing water could faintly be heard, which was about the only thing that was keeping him somewhat calm at the moment.

"Man. These formal shindigs really take it out of me." Daruk sighed and stretched his arm across his torso. The Hero, who was standing by him, just watched without saying a word.

"Nobody asked." Revali scoffed. He turned his attention back to Zelda, who was holding the Sheikah Slate. He took the tablet right out of her hands, which caused a sudden spike of anxiety to rush through Sheik. He didn't trust the overgrown Cucco with the Slate. Hell, he barely trusted Zelda with it. That was mostly due to the fact that both Impa and Purah had gone to great lengths to explain just how important the Slate was, and Sheik really didn't want it broken. "This is the Sheikah Slate?" Revali asked, holding it up to his face and examining it.

Zelda glanced over at Sheik. The ghost of a knowing smile flickered across her face, but it quickly vanished as she looked back at Revali. "Yes, it is. Apparently there are a lot more uses for it than originally suspected, but it is proving to be a bit of a challenge to decipher."

Revali handed the Sheikah Slate off to Mipha, who was standing next to him. It looked more like he dropped it into her hands, since she hadn't been ready for the weight of the Slate. Before he could stop himself, Sheik stepped forward and put his hands on Mipha's. "Be careful with that!"

"Yes, of course." Mipha's voice was barely above a whisper, and she didn't meet his eyes.

"It's alright, Sheikah. Don't worry so much." Urbosa remarked, though not unkindly.

"Right. Sorry." Sheik let go of Mipha's hands and returned to the spot he'd been standing in earlier. To his horror, he heard Zelda laugh quietly.

"Urbosa is right, there's no reason to worry." Zelda whispered to him.

Sheik scoffed softly and crossed his arms. He looked away from Mipha, who was now examining the Slate with controlled curiosity, and found that the Hero was staring at him. Once the Hylian realized Sheik was looking back at him, he dropped his gaze.

"You know, Zelda showed me something interesting earlier. Somehow, the Slate can create true-to-life images." Urbosa said. She bent over to get a closer look at it, but she didn't try to take it from Mipha.

"That's quite interesting." Mipha replied. She traced her finger over the Sheikah eye on the back, then turned it a bit like she was trying to figure out how such a thing could be possible. "I'd love to see an example."

"Oh, of course. There are several on it already." Zelda moved forward to take the Slate from the Zora Champion, but she stopped her.

"Actually, if you don't mind..." Mipha trailed off and cast a glance behind her at the Hero. "I have another idea."

Urbosa seemed to catch on to what Mipha was thinking and nodded. "Yes, I agree. Using the Slate to take an image of the seven of us sounds like an excellent idea."

"Six." Sheik said. "I am merely the Hero's assistant. I do not have a place there."

He was well aware that he sounded bitter as he spoke his new title. He didn't particularly care.

Zelda looked like she was about to say something to the contrary, but then the moment passed and she sighed. "Can you go find Purah?"

Sheik nodded in response and turned to leave the gazebo. However, he hadn't gone far before he spotted his other aunt. Internally, he sighed as he saw that her eyeglasses were perched on top of her forehead.

She saw him and waved enthusiastically, her glasses tilting dangerously to the side. "Sheik! There you are. Are you with the Champions?" Purah reached to push her glasses up her nose, then looked momentarily confused as she couldn't find them. Sheik gestured subtly to the top of her head, and realization dawned in her eyes a second later. After straightening out her glasses and adjusting her colored bangs, she looked at her nephew again and grinned apologetically.

Completely unfazed by his eccentric aunt's antics, Sheik nodded. "Yeah. They're in the gazebo there." He accented this by pointing behind him, then continued speaking. "Did you need them for something?"

"I was figuring that where the Champions were, Zelda would be. Robbie and I wanted to run some tests on the Sheikah Slate, and she's got it right now." Purah said.

"Alright. Speaking of the Sheikah Slate, Zelda has a request for you." Sheik turned and started walking back to the gazebo.

"Oh, yeah?" Purah fell into step beside him.

Sheik nodded. "She'd like to do a demonstration of the Sheikah Slate's camera for the Champions."

"Excellent!"

Zelda caught sight of the two Sheikah walking towards them as they entered the gazebo. "That was quick."

"Purah was looking for you." Sheik explained. "She wasn't that far away."

"Well, regardless of how I got here, let's get you guys set up for a demonstration, yeah?" Purah clapped her hands and smiled brightly at the assembled Champions.

"Yes, that sounds good." Zelda nodded.

Purah rounded up the Champions and walked outside of the gazebo once more, since the lighting inside it wasn't all that great. Plus, she wanted to have more space to position the Champions just in case.

"This looks like a good spot." Purah said after looking around the area for a couple minutes. "Line up and keep your eyes on the Sheikah Slate, if you would." She tapped at the screen of the Slate, bringing up the camera.

Behind her, Sheik crossed his arms and surveyed the group of Champions. They really were an odd bunch, and he could tell that they would probably give him a lot of headaches in the time between now and Calamity Ganon's return.

"Daruk, would you crouch down a bit? Not that I don't appreciate your Death Mountain impression, but I can't frame the shot correctly."

The Goron Champion laughed and did as he was told.

"Great! It's alright to smile, Princess." Purah peered over the top of the Slate and winked at Zelda. The princess managed a weak smile in response, and Purah gave her a thumbs up. "Revali, move like four steps to your left."

"Tch. Fine." Revali took four baby steps to his left.

"Mipha, take a deep breath. You look really tense."

"Okay." Mipha closed her eyes and took several deep breaths, which eased how badly her entire body was shaking.

"Right, stay just like that!" Purah said cheerfully, apparently satisfied with the shot now. "Don't forget to smile! Cliiiiick... snap!"

Sheik could practically hear Impa rolling her eyes as Purah said her signature catchphrase. It was honestly just amusing to him at this point, really. Impa was always trying to get Purah to "act more like an adult," to which Purah would respond "At least I'm not a total buzzkill!"

Needless to say, they didn't get along well. They used to have an amicable relationship, before his mother's death. She had been the one to calm the two of them when they squabbled, and since she was gone... Sheik winced as the thought popped into his head. He tried to refocus on the scene before him, which was in chaos thanks to the fact that Daruk had apparently knocked all four Champions right into each other as Purah took the picture.

While Purah was busy showing off the picture- which had ended up being more of an expression of this group than the stiff, staged picture it might have been- Sheik saw the opportunity he'd been waiting for all day. A chance to slip away and get away from the damned Hylian Champion and the princess who was definitely going to start asking personal questions as soon as she got the chance.

His skills in unseen movement helped ensure that nobody noticed he was gone.


	4. rival

The dull thunk of a kunai knife against the solid wood board rang out across the deserted training grounds again and again. Seven rapid strikes, followed by a period of silence as Sheik collected the knives and returned to the throwing line once more. It was extremely familiar to him, but there was comfort in familiarity.

Hylia knew he needed it right now.

When he'd arrived in the training room, it had been completely empty. Which was probably a good thing, because none of the knights could actually pose a challenge to him. So even though he wanted to spar with someone, he was better off alone for now. At least until he'd worked off most of his aggression. And he'd be damned if he went and sought out Impa as a sparring partner. She would probably just lecture him about how "sloppy" he was being with his movements, and that he needed to "let go of his anger and turn it into a tool."

He threw the next kunai at the board with a lot more force than usual.

Sheik was so lost in thought that he didn't hear someone else enter the training room. And he didn't realize that they had walked up behind them until they put their hand on his shoulder. He tensed up immediately, taking the kunai that he'd been about to throw and reversing his grip on it so that it was pointed directly at his target. He pivoted and grabbed their hand, pulling them closer to him and very nearly stabbing their throat with the knife he held. He stopped himself at the last second, since he was aware that this was a peaceful situation. In a real battle, he wouldn't hesitate. However, when he got a good look at whoever had decided it was a good idea to try and get his attention like that, Sheik almost wished he hadn't stopped himself.

"What." Sheik asked flatly, the question sounding more like a statement.

"Would you take the knife away from my throat?" the Hylian Champion asked quietly. His voice wasn't quite what Sheik had been expecting him to sound like- it was somewhere between childishly high and more adult-sounding. It wasn't exactly unpleasant to listen to, but it was kind of a surprise considering Sheik had thought that the Hero of Hyrule would have some deep, heroic voice.

"Give me one good reason why I should."

"Because I'd like to spar with you, and it's kinda hard to do that with a knife at my throat." Surprisingly, he had a bit of an accent. It was likely he was from the Necluda region- Hateno Village, maybe? And then there was the matter of how calm he was, especially since he was on the wrong end of Sheik's knife.

Well, wasn't he just _full_ of surprises?

Sheik scoffed and lowered the kunai. The Hero winced and rubbed the spot where the point had nicked him slightly, then looked directly at the Sheikah in front of him.

"Thank you."

"Whatever." Sheik scowled, though the Hero couldn't see it. Goddesses, he couldn't _stand_ this boy.

"Are you up for a sparring match?" the Hero asked.

"Is that even a question?"

To his surprise, a slight smile touched the Hero's face. "The Princess said you'd say that."

"Oh, really? Did I ask?" Sheik snapped. "I've heard a lot about you, _Hero._ Are you even half as skilled as everyone says you are?"

He just shrugged and held up the wooden sword he was holding.

"You can use that new sword of yours if you want. You won't touch me." Sheik said. He was aware that arrogance was a dangerous weapon, but he could care less. All he cared about was making this thief regret taking his title.

"Suit yourself." the Hylian Champion replied. He tossed the wooden sword aside and unsheathed the Master Sword. It really was a beautiful weapon. Almost a shame that the one who wielded it was, well, _him._

Both of them walked five paces away and settled into ready stances, the Hero with the Master Sword held in a classic swordmaster's position and Sheik with a kunai in his left hand, presenting the sharp edge to his opponent. His right hand was empty, held in a fist in front of his face as a guard.

They paced around each other in a slow circle, each waiting for the other to make the first move. After years of training, Sheik knew better than to make the first move on an opponent armed with a sword. Usually, he was able to control the impulse to just rush in blindly that he'd never quite been able to get rid of. But today, he very nearly ran right in without a second thought. At the last second, he caught himself and grimaced. All that the Hero would see was a brief hint of irritation flicker through his eyes, but Sheik was willing to bet that he wasn't very good at reading an opponent who had half their face covered.

Finally, the Hero ran forward, attempting an overhead strike that was literally telegraphed. Sheik sidestepped it easily and kicked at the back of his knee. This unbalanced him, but instead of following up on this advantage, Sheik hung back and waited for him to recover. He didn't want this fight to be over too quickly. Once the Hero recovered, he tried a very sneaky backhand cut at Sheik's ribs. This was a bit trickier to dodge, but he was light on his feet. Even so, Sheik barely managed to avoid getting cut by the very tip, which left him open to the punch that followed. The Hero's fist made contact with the side of his face, which was painful, but Sheik just danced back and waited for his next attack.

Had he actively been trying to kill the Hero, he likely would've been dead already. He could have thrown the kunai he held in his left hand right into the Hero's head, or he could have tripped him and then stabbed him. So many ways to kill someone, and Sheik knew them all. But because this wasn't a real fight, he was holding back.

Maybe the Hero was picking up on it. The boy had an impressive poker face, so it was impossible to tell.

This time, he approached with another backhanded slice. However, at the last second, he turned the blade so that it was perpendicular with the ground and sliced upward. Sheik deflected it with his kunai, a feat which took a great deal of skill to pull off. The Hero was unbalanced again, and this time Sheik took this opportunity to punch him in the gut. The breath was driven out of his lungs, and he doubled over with a wheeze.

To hell with dragging this out. He was ending this now, since he had a perfect opening to humiliate him.

Sheik swept the Hero's legs out from under him with a well-placed kick. He landed on the ground with a soft exclamation of surprise, and the air was driven out of his lungs yet again. Before he could recover, Sheik pinned him to the ground and placed his kunai knife at the Hero's throat. He was barely breathing hard, unlike his opponent, who was wheezing as he tried to regain his breath once more.

"Let me get one thing very clear, Hero." Sheik whispered, leaning closer to him so he was sure the Hylian could hear him.

"My... name... is Link." he wheezed, opening his eyes and looking directly at Sheik.

"Shut _up._ " Sheik snapped, pressing the knife against his throat a bit harder.

The Hero stared coolly back at him. His unflinching calm was odd, yes, but underneath all of it Sheik could see fear in his eyes.

"I hate you, Link. I hate you and everything you stand for." Sheik let some of the anger creep into his voice, but he didn't yell. Yelling never accomplished anything in a situation like this. "You stole what was mine by birthright. All because you drew some sword. Tell me, have you spent your entire life waiting for this moment?"

"I'm just following orders."

"Orders?" Sheik echoed, his voice dropping to a dangerously low level. He applied more pressure to the kunai at the Hero's throat, actually drawing blood now. Just a little bit, but still. "By the Three. You didn't even want that position."

He didn't respond, but his answer was obvious.

"Fuck. You." Sheik snarled. He stood up, barely cast a glance over at the wooden board he'd been using for a target earlier, and threw the kunai he'd been holding with a great deal more force than necessary.

"Sorry?" the Hero replied, sounding a bit angry himself. He rose to his feet, indignation clearly showing through his normal icy mask.

Good.

"Be on your guard, Hero. I do not forgive easily."

With that, Sheik stalked out of the training room. He paused just long enough to grab each of the four kunai knives that were still embedded in the board, because he didn't want to leave them behind. Sure, it kinda ruined his dramatic exit, but he'd be damned if he neglected to properly maintain his equipment. Plus, there was the possibility that the Hero would grab them and return them to him tomorrow, which Sheik wanted to avoid. 

While he walked, he slipped six of the knives back into the black box-like sheath he wore on his right hip. He kept one visible on his belt at all times, just in case he ever needed a weapon quickly. Sometimes fists (or feet) just didn't cut it. In addition, he had a thinner black sheath beside the one for his kunai that held a clip of throwing needles. Those were mostly used to incapacitate rather than seriously injure, but he kept them with him at all times anyway. 

In all honesty, Sheik wasn't really sure where he was going. He was just kind of walking through the castle, hardly paying attention to his surroundings. When his head cleared and he registered where exactly he was, he was extremely startled to see that he was standing in front of the door to Zelda's quarters.

Old habits die hard.

"Sheik?"

At the sound of his name, he turned. Standing there, still dressed in her full royal regalia, was the princess.

"Zelda."

"It's been a while."

"What, since the last time we saw each other? In that case, you're wrong. It was only three hours ago." Sheik replied irritably.

"That's not what I mean, and you know it."

"Explain it to me. I find my patience for these mind games growing thin, Princess."

Zelda sighed. "I meant it's been a while since we properly spoke."

"Yes. It has."

"I would like to spend some time catching up with you, but not if you're going to be an ass the whole time." Zelda said plainly.

"My aunt would have a heart attack if she could hear you now." Sheik replied.

"I'm aware." Zelda commented dryly.

"In any case, if you're going to wait for me to not be an ass, as you so delicately put it, you're going to be disappointed." He started walking past her, mentally kicking himself for getting into this conversation in the first place.

Instead of just letting him go, Zelda grabbed his left wrist.

"Let go of me, Zelda."

"No." Zelda stared defiantly at him. He knew that look well, since he'd seen it many times during the two years they spent together as kids. "Look, I'm worried about you. You're so different."

"People change." Sheik replied bitterly.

"I know that."

"So don't act so surprised. Of course I'm different. It's been ten damn years."

"Yes, but-"

"I don't have to tell you anything about what happened to me after the assassination. You have enough to deal with, and I refuse to burden you with my petty concerns." Sheik snapped. "Now _let go_ of me." 

"...Alright." Zelda released his wrist and stepped back. She looked faintly disappointed, but Sheik could honestly care less right now.

At least, that's what he told himself. He never had liked disappointing people. Especially not someone like Zelda, who was his closest friend at this point. So seeing the faint look of disappointment on her face was painful, but Sheik just did what he was best at and buried it. Yeah, that usually didn't end up working out well for him in the long run, but whatever.

"It's not healthy to keep all that to yourself." Zelda said quietly.

"I don't care. Good night, Princess." Sheik replied icily.

He walked away from her without a second glance.

Goddesses, he just wanted to sleep. This nightmare of a day literally couldn't get any worse at this point, but every second he spent awake and in plain view of other people was just tempting fate.

Thankfully, he didn't come across anybody in the halls, aside from a few knights who were patrolling. Sheik was mostly grateful that Impa was nowhere to be found, because he really wasn't looking forward to the lecture she was inevitably going to give him.

The sight of the solid wood door to his borrowed room in the castle had never looked better. Not bothering to take off anything save for his mask, Sheik collapsed onto his bed and fell asleep almost immediately.

Sure, that was irregular, but who was he to complain?


	5. luck

After two weeks, Sheik had begun to settle into a sort of routine. Wake up when the sun rose, meditate for thirty minutes, then head to Zelda's personal quarters and wait for her to wake up. Whenever he arrived, the Hero was already standing there, looking almost exactly like one of the suits of armor that were placed in decorative alcoves inside the castle. They would look at each other for a second before the Hero's expression would change slightly- a small downward twitch of his mouth betraying his displeasure at seeing Sheik again.

The feeling was mutual.

After that was over with, they would refuse to acknowledge the other's existence until Zelda exited her room. Depending on what outfit she wore, both knights could get a sense of what their duties for the day would entail. If she wore her royal blue and gold dress, it was a day of trailing Zelda as she went around the castle and attended to various things. Normally, she wore her dress when she was going to oversee one of the Guardian experiments run by Purah and Robbie. If she wore her traveling outfit, which consisted of a light blue and white blouse of sorts with simple black pants and sturdy brown boots, then both knights could expect a day outside of the castle.

Neither of the three talked very much of the course of a typical day. Zelda had long since given up trying to talk to either knight, since they were both so quiet. The Hero stayed silent unless he was directly addressed, and even then he tended to respond with a nod or a clipped sentence. Sheik didn't speak much, preferring to quietly... well, pout wasn't the word he'd use in this situation, but that was definitely what he was doing by this point. In any case, he didn't want to give off any hints about the way he hated the Hero, because then Zelda would ask questions and try to get him to talk about it.

Sheik hated talking about his feelings.

Today, while Sheik and the Hero waited for Zelda to emerge from her quarters, Impa stopped to talk to them. She usually passed by here on her morning inspection of the castle, but she never actually interacted with either of them. That, combined with the fact that he was still waiting for that lecture about how he'd lost the spot as Zelda's personal knight to some Hylian, was enough to make Sheik uneasy.

"Good morning, Aunt. Is there something I can help you with?" Sheik said mildly. He heard a sharp intake of breath from the Hero, and a quick sideways glance revealed that a mildly shocked expression had found its way onto his face. Mentally, Sheik snickered. Was the fact that Impa was his aunt really all that surprising?

Then again, the Hero had reacted in a similar way when Purah had referred to him as "my favorite nephew" earlier in the week.

Impa acknowledged his greeting with a nod of her head. "Not at the moment. I'm assuming the Princess has yet to appear?"

Both Sheik and the Hero nodded in unison.

"The King wants to see the three of you."

The Hero opened his mouth to reply, which was a bit of a surprise considering that he didn't usually bother to reply in similar situations. Before he could start speaking, the door to Zelda's room opened and the princess stepped out, wearing her traveling outfit.

"Good morning, Impa." Zelda said, not looking surprised to see the Sheikah commander standing in front of her two knights. Sheik and the Hero turned to look at her, an expression of mild irritation on the blonde Hylian's face. As always, it was mildly amusing to see the Hero's expressionless facade fall away. Sheik, on the other hand, was just curious. What exactly was going on here?

"So you were awake." Impa replied, humor flickering in her red eyes. A slight smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as she asked "How much did you hear?"

Now Sheik wasn't curious. He was just flat out shocked. Impa almost _never_ smiled when she was around him. Granted, she wasn't smiling because of him, but still. For a while, as a kid, he'd been convinced that she wasn't actually able _to_ smile. Later, he'd found out that wasn't the case.

Of course, one of the first times he could remember her smiling at him directly was after he'd killed that Yiga soldier and he would get nightmares of a faceless thing chasing him down in his sleep, with fingers that looked like blades and a bloody gash on its neck. The first time this had happened, Impa had been there when he woke up. He had asked her if there was something wrong with him for feeling guilty about killing that Yiga, and she had just smiled at him and said "No. Feeling guilty means you're still human. It's okay to be human."

Even though Impa stressed that his end goal was to become a living weapon to be used as the Royal Family saw fit, she still wanted him to retain some of his humanity. It had been far too confusing for his seven year old self to comprehend, so he'd just nodded and tried to go back to sleep. And even now, he wasn't entirely certain that he'd figured out what she was trying to get him to learn.

"Enough." Zelda shrugged.

"So you're aware that your father wants to see you?"

"Yes."

"Excellent. You might want to get moving." With that, Impa turned and walked down the corridor. Due to the winding nature of Hyrule Castle's halls, she disappeared from view fairly quickly.

He must have looked a bit more shocked than he realized, because Zelda turned to him and said "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine." Sheik replied pointedly. Hylia, he hated being asked that question.

"Surprised?"

"Since when were you and my aunt on good terms?" Sheik asked, the words sounding a bit more incredulous than he had intended them to be.

"Ten years is a long time." Zelda responded, a slightly bitter tone creeping into her voice. "Whenever she visited the castle to check up on the status of the Royal Guard and the knights, she would give me lessons on self-defense. She said that I'm one of her best students."

Impa had never said that to him.

The other instructors did, but she never had.

"...I see." was all Sheik could manage in response.

An awkward silence descended over the trio. Surprisingly, the Hero was the one to break it. He cleared his throat and said "We should probably get going." in a quiet voice.

Without a word, Zelda took the lead like she usually did.

When they arrived in the Sanctum, King Rhoam was nowhere to be seen. Zelda cast a glance around the grand room, a slight frown appearing on her face. The trio waited for another minute or so before Zelda opened her mouth to comment on the predicament they found themselves in. Right as the princess was about to say something, the king strode through the opulent entrance of the Sanctum.

"My apologies for being late." King Rhoam said with a sigh. "I got a little caught up in some reports. Anyway, I'm glad all three of you are here. I have a task for you to complete."

His words were met with a stiff silence. The Hero's expression hadn't changed once since he walked in, Zelda was wearing her carefully crafted neutral expression that was best suited for dealings with her father and the other members of the Hylian court, and the shock Sheik had felt earlier had just turned into anger by now. But he hid his feelings well, as always. At least he was good at faking emotional control (to a certain extent). 

"Revali has already reported great success with learning to control his Divine Beast. I would like you to go observe him on a routine flight and report back to me with your findings, Zelda. If we are going to beat Calamity Ganon, we will need our Champions to become proficient at piloting their beasts." Rhoam continued. He didn't seem bothered by the stiff silence his previous words had been met with.

Zelda brightened up considerably at the mention of the Divine Beast. "Of course. I'll prepare to leave right away-"

Rhoam held up a hand to silence his daughter. "You must take both Link and Sheik with you."

That visibly killed a vast majority of her enthusiasm.

"Father, with all due respect, I don't need _two_ knights following me around everywhere. I didn't like the idea of one!" Zelda exclaimed.

"If Her Highness really has that much of a problem with this, it's worth reminding you that I am not technically her personal knight and I, therefore, do not need to accompany her at all times." Sheik said quietly. Each word felt like he was trying to swallow knives.

"That is true." Rhoam mused. "However, you are still in her service. Link is her knight, and you are her..." he trailed off, looking for the right word to use.

"You said yourself that I am merely the Hero's assistant."

"And Zelda's. You assist them both."

Sheik wanted to punch something. Preferably the Hero.

Assistant. He was well aware that it was just a fancy name for "consolation prize position." It was just another way of saying "You failed. We found someone better suited for the job, and guess what? He gets everything handed right to him just for drawing a sword from a stone pedestal. Have fun watching all your hard work go to waste!"

But instead of lashing out like he wanted to, he just swallowed his anger and took a deep breath to steady himself. He absolutely could not lose his temper in front of both King Rhoam and Zelda.

"So, yes, you do need to accompany Zelda- and, by extension, Link- to ensure their security." Rhoam finished. He could tell that Zelda was about to protest this, so he added "My decision on this matter is final, Zelda. You already knew this." 

"Alright. Fine." Zelda closed her eyes and sighed. When she opened them again, she forced a smile and said "The three of us will leave for Rito Village by the end of the day today."

"Very good." Rhoam nodded, which seemingly dismissed them. Both Sheik and the Hero were still waiting for a proper dismissal when Zelda turned on her heel and started walking out of the Sanctum once more.

"Are we...?" the Hero started asking, looking a bit perplexed.

"Yes." Sheik answered curtly. He started walking after Zelda, flexing his fingers a bit in the hopes that it would work off some of his anger. 

It didn't.

The Hero followed him after a delay of a second or two, his footsteps seeming to echo on the flagstones of the Sanctum.

When they both caught up with Zelda, she was (understandably) upset. Sheik could hardly blame her for the way her left hand curled into a fist, or the aggravated sigh, or the way she snapped "Would you both knock it off?"

Her words bounced right off the Hero's stone cold mask. That just seemed to piss Zelda off even more, but she forced her hand to uncurl and lay flat against her side.

"Sorry, Princess. Orders are orders." the Hero mumbled.

There it was again. Orders. Did he not have a brain of his own? To be honest, Sheik wouldn't be surprised if he didn't, but still. It was more than a little pathetic.

Of course, he completely ignored the fact that he was very much the same way.

-/-/-/-

In the end, both Sheik and the Hero had ended up having to, in Zelda's words, "quit following her around like two brainless Cuccos" to prepare to leave for Rito Village. Which was a good thing all around, because tensions were pretty high among the three of them. A bit of a break before they'd have to spend at least half of a day traveling out to the Hebra region would make the ride a bit more tolerable.

At least, that's what Sheik was hoping. He couldn't exactly say for sure, because he couldn't speak for Zelda and certainly not the Hero, but he was feeling almost optimistic about this trip. Then again, that was stupid of him, because since when did optimism do anybody any good?

Answer: never. 

Right now, Sheik was in the stables, making a final check over the way his saddlebag was secured and double checking that the saddle was snug against his horse's back, but wouldn't end up being uncomfortable. He'd been given a standard issue set of a knight's horse gear, complete with the battlefield armor and all. After speaking with the stablemaster, Sheik had decided to forego the armor, leaving Nox with the steel grey colored saddle. The saddle blanket was a lighter grey, with a dark grey border. The border had a pattern of triangles on it, which were a lighter grey to match the rest of the blanket.

All in all, Nox looked quite handsome with his new saddle.

Once he was satisfied, he took a step back and mentally ran through the list of things he needed to bring. This trip wasn't supposed to take long- only a day or two at the most, but he and the Hero had agreed that it would be a good idea to bring some food along. They hadn't told Zelda about this, though. Which was probably a bad idea, but oh well. He was also bringing what some people might have called an excessive amount of weaponry for a simple trip like this, but it never hurt to be prepared.

Even if "being prepared" meant he was bringing a clip of throwing needles, six kunai knives, and his sword.

Almost as if he picked up on his master's apprehension, Nox snorted and tossed his head. The jet-black horse was remarkably good at catching him before he got too stuck in his thoughts and subsequently "scolding" him for it, despite the fact that he couldn't speak. A slight smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, and Sheik idly ran a hand through Nox's mane.

For a split second, he was actually relaxed. Which was nice, because it felt like he hadn't been able to relax for a second while he was here. Then, of course, the moment was ruined by the sight of the Hero as he walked into the stables. Sheik repressed a sigh and grabbed Nox's reins, intending to lead him out of the stables and wait for his traveling companions. He didn't get far before the Hero noticed him.

"You have everything?" he asked quietly.

Sheik nodded in response. He didn't really feel like getting into a conversation with him right now. Or ever.

"Alright."

Instead of responding, Sheik turned away from the Hero and led Nox out into the courtyard.

So far, it was shaping up to be a beautiful day. The sky was clear and vibrant blue, and there was the faintest hint of a breeze. Not enough to chill, but enough to cool down. Days like this were ideal for outdoor sparring, which all four of the instructors were awfully fond of. Rain or shine, day or night. Learn how to cope with every situation and you'd never be caught off guard.

He sighed quietly and leaned back against Nox's flank, closing his eyes and trying to forget some of the... interesting memories this brought up.

It wasn't long before the soft clop of horse hooves alerted him to the presence of someone else. He opened his eyes again, expecting to see the Hero and his brown mare.

"Sleeping on the job?" Zelda asked, though not unkindly. She transferred the reins of her pure white horse from her left hand to her right hand, looking a bit awkward. Her horse snorted and stomped his front hooves. Apparently, the white horse had a bit of a temper.

"Thinking. There's a difference." Sheik responded.

"Not always." The humor faded from Zelda's expression.

Sheik was about to ask if she was alright, but then the Hero came walking out of the stables with his horse. Since he knew better than to ask Zelda a personal question in front of the Hero, Sheik stayed silent.

"Everything in order?" Zelda asked the Hero.

He nodded.

"Then let's go."

With a smooth, well-practiced movement, the Hero swung himself into the saddle. Sheik followed suit. Zelda had a bit more difficulty than either of the two knights, but she managed it in the end.

It was tempting to snap the reins and send Nox racing far ahead of the princess and the Hero, but in the end he settled for having to match the Hero's pace. Zelda was leading, due to the trio's unspoken agreement that she would take the lead.

Silence reigned over the trio for the majority of their ride. Which was nice, because Sheik wasn't really in the mood to talk. He never really was, to be honest. Zelda seemed like she was brooding over the conversation she'd had with her father in the Sanctum earlier, and the Hero had his customary blank stare fixed on the path ahead of them. 

Like he had observed earlier, it really was a beautiful day. Being outside the castle only seemed to make it seem nicer. The sun felt rather nice on his face after being cooped up inside for three days straight (Zelda had insisted on studying the ancient relics for the last few days, and while Sheik was more than happy to research the relics with her, seeing as he found them mildly fascinating, three days was a bit long to stay inside with minimal breaks) and for a moment, it was almost like they were just three people out for a mid-morning ride.

Angrily, Sheik shook his head. Better to dispel those foolish notions now, before they got him in trouble. He was extremely distracted today, which bothered him. Usually he was a lot better at keeping his daydreams in check. He was well aware of the fact that he could get spacey from time to time. Sure, he'd gotten better at controlling it as he got older, but it was still unacceptable. He had to remain laser focused at all times, lest something slip past his guard when he was vulnerable.

The ride itself took around four hours, which honestly wasn't bad. Sheik had been expecting it to take a bit longer, but Zelda had set an almost punishing pace. That, by itself, was a major tell that she was upset. However, as they neared Rito Village and Vah Medoh came into view, Zelda's demeanor changed from upset to borderline childishly excited. They boarded their horses at the stable near the village, then continued on foot from there. That was when Zelda attempted to start a conversation with Sheik, which didn't last long. The blame for that was mostly on him giving the bare minimum of response.

It wasn't like Sheik didn't want to talk to the princess and attempt to repair the gap in their friendship that his silence for ten years had caused. But there was no way he would even dream of having a deep conversation like that in front of the Hero. Knowing Zelda, she'd likely try to twist the conversation to things that were more personal than the matter of the relics, so his solution was to just... not talk to her. Yet. He'd get there.

Eventually.

Unsurprisingly, Revali was nowhere to be found as the trio passed under the gate that was guarded by a Rito with slate grey feathers and crossed the series of bridges that led to the village proper. While they were crossing the third bridge, the Hero peered over the rail with an expression that bordered on apprehension. Instead of pointing it out right away, Sheik filed this information away for later. He'd wait until Zelda wasn't around to ask (more like tease) the Hylian about it.

A Rito with maroon colored feathers stood guard outside the entrance to Rito Village proper, carrying a feathered spear in their right hand. The entrance itself was a wooden gate similar to the one that they had passed through earlier. Off to the right side, there was a small hut structure that was likely the guard's post for when it rained. Revali was still nowhere to be seen.

"Have you seen Revali around?" Zelda asked the guard.

"Usually he's at the Flight Range this time of day." the guard replied, a thoughtful expression crossing their face. "Though today he should have been here by now. The elder asked him to be on time to meet you, Princess."

"I see. Any idea where he'd be likely to show up?"

"Yeah. The landing on the fifth level is one of his other favorite spots. You can't miss it, it's the largest landing in the village. Just to make sure you're in the right place, it's to the left of the bowmaker's house." The guard said, waving their free hand in a bit of a vague gesture.

"Thank you, I appreciate it." Zelda bowed her head to the guard and then continued into the village.

"Best of luck finding master Revali. He can be a tricky one to handle." The guard said. Then they raised their hand in farewell and returned their attention to the path outside the village.

The initial flight of stairs was actually four different sets of sturdily built wooden steps, with small landings between them due to the nature of the terrain. On the first level, yet another gate rose above a small alcove where a diminutive statue of the Goddess Hylia stood, flanked by two lanterns. A quick set of stairs led to the rest of the first level. Immediately after climbing these stairs, a small landing was set on the right side. A quick glance as the trio walked by told Sheik that this landing offered a stunning view of the surrounding countryside, which would likely be enhanced as they climbed further up the village.

Yet another gate, this one with a lantern hanging from the apex of it, stood shortly after the path narrowed again. A little ways along the path was the first building in the village, which was fittingly the inn. Blue drapes embroidered with the crescent moon symbol provided a bit more protection from the wind, which was fairly stronger than it had been back at the stable.

A short flight of stairs marked the beginning of the second level. This had a general store with orange drapes. The third and fourth levels were similar in structure, but on the fourth level, the shops were replaced by homes. Various Rito with all sorts of differently colored feathers milled about, hardly sparing so much as a glance up at the princess and the two knights accompanying her.

Following a much longer flight of stairs, which were stopped once by a short landing that was probably used by Rito to take off for a short flight, the trio reached the fifth level. A dormant shrine was visible past a house that was stocked full of ingredients for cooking, and Sheik could see the conflict in Zelda's eyes as she looked at it. But in the end, the only other outward sign of her struggle was the slight falter in her step.

Past the bowmaker's house, where a Rito with midnight black feathers was stringing a small bow, laid a short set of stairs that the trio descended to reach the wide landing. This was undoubtedly a nicer platform than the larger one or the small one they'd seen previously. There were four openings from which a Rito could land or take off, and a white Rito crest was painted on the sturdy brown wood. Close inspection revealed small scratch marks left by countless talons. The view from up here was magnificent, and Sheik was half tempted to go up to the rail for a closer look.

And yet there was still no sign of Revali.

Vah Medoh was slowly cruising through the sky, which meant that Revali had to be nearby. Zelda seemed transfixed by the Divine Beast, and Sheik honestly didn't blame her. If he hadn't known better, he would have said it was like magic the way the massive mechanical behemoth was able to stay in the air. But since one of his aunts was literally a head of the research team responsible for learning more about the ancient technology left behind by the Sheikah of an age long since past, he didn't try to pass it off as magic.

The wind, which had already been somewhat merciless, picked up suddenly. Sheik's scarf blew out behind him, and for a second he was worried that it would blow away entirely.

Then the figure of a Rito appeared with a flourish, riding an air current that hadn't been there before. The Rito flew up quite a ways before throwing out their wings, which only made it evident who they were.

Oh, joy. Revali had finally decided to grace them with his presence.

He landed with a graceful movement on the rail that Sheik had previously been considering going to stand by. An impressive looking gold and navy blue bow was strung across his back.

Before anybody (AKA Zelda) could say something, Revali smirked and said "I know, it's impressive. No need to trip over yourselves with praise. After all, not many can claim to have achieved a mastery of the skies. And yet here I am, able to create updrafts to soar whenever I wish." He made a grand sweeping motion with his left wing and bowed dramatically.

"Yes, it is quite impressive." Zelda said mildly.

Revali nodded. "Even among the Rito, who are known as the masters of the sky, this is considered to be the ultimate technique."

"It is easy to see why." Zelda nodded her head politely. "So, Revali, how well are you managing Vah Medoh?"

"Very well, as expected. If you'd like, I can take you up and give you a demonstration of my clearly superior skills."

"That would be excellent, thank you." Zelda's smile wasn't faked this time. "I don't believe either of you two will need to accompany Revali and I. Why don't you use this time to relax a bit?"

Relax. Yeah, right.

The Hero bowed his head in acknowledgment and went to go sit down at the far end of the landing. Sheik stayed standing for a little while, watching as Revali flew Zelda up to Vah Medoh. Eventually, he had to settle for sitting back against the railing on the side as far away from the Hero as possible. He drew a kunai and started playing with it, twirling the knife between his fingers like it was nothing. In the hands of someone who was unfamiliar with the blade, this was just asking for trouble due to the way it was weighted. The blade itself was balanced so well it was almost like you weren't holding anything at all. Sure, this might not have seemed deadly, but it was the razor-sharp cutting edge that would quickly change a person's view of the knife's capabilities.

All the while, Sheik was looking directly at (or very close to) the Hero. He wasn't sure how much time had passed, because time felt like it was moving agonizingly slow. In any case, Revali landed back on the platform and broke the slightly ugly silence that had settled over the two knights.

"Where's Zelda?" Sheik asked, the words sounding like a threat. Because they were, in a way.

"She's fine." Revali answered flippantly. "The Princess is currently poking around the Divine Beast a bit. She seemed happy, so I left her be. She'll be fine. You worry too much, Sheikah."

Sheik scoffed. "Sure."

"What do you really want?" the Hero asked, a slightly irritated tone in his voice.

"Why, I wanted to come check up on the two of you. Zelda expressed concern about the two of you and I decided it was in the Princess's best interest to, ah, make sure you hadn't killed each other. Though I have no doubts who would win." Revali said, amusement glimmering in his green eyes.

"Right."

"I would also like to take this chance to remind the both of you that I am the most skilled archer of all the Rito, which I have proven time and time again. I can beat your best Hylian or Sheikah archers in my sleep. And yet, despite this, I am merely your _assistant._ " There. That bitter tone in Revali's voice. Sheik understood that so well. He may not like the Rito Champion that much, but he could sympathize with him on this point.

Zelda wasn't around, so he didn't have to watch what he said.

"Yes, it does seem odd that you keep getting chosen over everybody else. You've hardly done anything to get where you are now, as opposed to someone like Revali or I." Sheik added with a sneer.

"All this for one little darkness-sealing sword." Revali laughed sharply. "Really, I must say that the sword is more impressive than you are, O Great Hero of Hyrule."

The Hero didn't so much as flinch while he listened to the sharp, mocking words of his fellow Champion and fellow knight.

"Honestly, if you ask me? This whole business of resting Hyrule's very future on the backs of two teenagers is just... asinine." Revali scoffed.

"That's why we have the other Champions." the Hero mumbled.

"What was that?"

The Hylian Champion took a deep breath and then looked Revali directly in the eyes. If looks could kill, Revali would have died a very chilly death based on the way the Hylian's eyes looked like two chips of ice. "Hyrule's future is not mine or the Princess's alone to bear. The Champions share that duty. And Sheik. I guess." 

"You don't need to sugarcoat the truth, Hero." Sheik snapped. "If Revali thinks he's just assisting you, then I'm nothing more than a faceless footsoldier. I really don't matter all that much to Hyrule's future." 

Revali scoffed. "All that "teamwork" nonsense doesn't change the fact that I don't believe that you're worthy. Unless you think you can prove me wrong on that front?"

"I drew the sword. What else do you want?"

"A duel. One on one. And I know the perfect location..." Revali pivoted dramatically on his heel and gestured up at Vah Medoh. Upon seeing the blank look on the Hero's face, he laughed and exclaimed "My bad! It seems I forgot you have no way of getting up to Vah Medoh on your own. What a pity!"

With a flourish, Revali spread his wings and summoned an updraft to carry him into the sky once more. As he soared away, he apparently couldn't resist the opportunity for one last jab at the Hero. "Good luck sealing the darkness!" he called down to the Hero. Though neither Sheik nor the Hylian Champion could see Revali's expression, it was very obvious that he was smirking.

-/-/-/-

Two hours later, Sheik was descending the steps on the sixth level of the village. When Zelda had returned from her impromptu studying session, she'd taken one look at the two knights and ordered both of them to go take a walk or so help her Hylia, she was going to make them talk about their _feelings._ That had proved to be enough of a motivator for both knights to split up and take some time to cool down.

Honestly, he was a bit embarrassed by his outburst earlier. He was supposed to have his temper under control, not lashing out like a child at the first provocation. The Hero hadn't even really done anything except exist this time around, which made it worse in his eyes. But Sheik had tried to justify it to himself by saying that he was just defending his honor and making the thief regret he'd ever arrived to screw things up.

That made it easy to ignore the little inkling of guilt in the back of his mind.

By now, he was plenty cooled down. He was heading back to the entrance of the village, where Zelda had said they would meet up for the return journey to the castle, when he heard it. Over the course of the day, he'd become accustomed to the regular noise of the village- Rito talking to each other, the soft click of talons against wood, the occasional rustle of feathers. And the wind. The wind was a constant factor.

But what he heard stopped him in his tracks so completely that he nearly missed a step and fell flat on his face. Thankfully, his impeccable balance saved him from an unfortunate fate.

Music. More specifically, accordion music.

Like a fish drawn to bait, Sheik followed the music and spotted a blue-feathered Rito child sitting on the edge of the landing. An accordion was held in their lap, and their eyes were closed. For a moment, Sheik was afraid that they would fall right off the edge of the landing, but watching them for a little while longer dispelled any of his fears.

The kid was good. There was no question about that. But there were small things that he could pick out in the kid's playing that could take them from good to excellent if they fixed it.

"What's your name?" Sheik asked, crouching down behind the kid.

They whirled around, eyes wide. Thankfully, they retained their grip on the accordion. "I-I'm Kass." Now that he'd heard the kid speak, it was evident that he was male.

"Nice to meet you, Kass. I'm Sheik. Can I look at your accordion for a second?"

"Yeah, of course." Kass handed the instrument over, taking great care with it.

Slowly, trying to ease himself back into the memory of playing, Sheik began giving Kass a few tips to improve his playing. It had been a while since he'd picked up an accordion, and though it was far from his instrument of choice, it felt good to play again.

Once the impromptu lesson was over, Sheik handed the accordion back to Kass and stood up. "Just keep this in mind, alright?"

"Thank you, Sheik!" Kass exclaimed.

"Anytime."

"Is there any way I could keep getting advice from you?" Kass asked.

"You mean you're interested in becoming my student?"

Kass nodded enthusiastically. "That is, if you're willing to teach me."

Sheik considered this for a moment. He certainly would like to, but the only thing he was worried about was not having enough time to properly instruct Kass. It turned out that he didn't need to worry too much about that, because an idea came to him a second later.

"Would you be alright with coming to the castle once or twice every month so I can give you pointers and exercises to work on?" Sheik asked.

"Of course!"

"Then your first lesson will be in three weeks."


	6. funny

For the first hour or so, the ride back to the castle from Rito Village was filled with Zelda chattering on about what she'd seen while working on Vah Medoh. At first, Sheik had been mildly annoyed by it, because she just wouldn't stop talking. But it didn't take much longer after that before he realized that she was just trying to keep the peace.

Even Zelda and her love of the ancient technology couldn't keep up a one-sided conversation forever, so silence became the ruler of their ride once more.

When they arrived back at the castle, it was pitch black outside. The moon had risen, casting an ethereal glow on the castle. It was actually quite pretty, but Sheik wasn't going to admit he found it nice to look at. Also, he was so tired his limbs felt heavy.

"The King is expecting a report from us, right?" Sheik asked.

"Yes, but I won't make you two go." Zelda replied. Before Sheik could protest and say something about how he wasn't tired and he could definitely go report to the king, thank you very much, Zelda added "Don't argue. I know you're tired."

"...Alright." Sheik said, which was about as close to admitting Zelda was right as he would ever get.

"I'm not as tired as Sheik is. I think." the Hero said quietly. "I can go with you to report to the King. If you want."

Sheik scoffed. If the Hero wanted to make this a competition, so be it. "If he goes, I'm going."

"Then neither of you are going. I'm not stupid, Link. You're just as tired as this idiot is." Zelda gestured to Sheik as she spoke the last sentence, just to make it clear that she was calling him an idiot. "If I have to, I will order you to go get some rest."

The Hero nodded in acknowledgement. Once Zelda's back was turned, he shot an irritated look over at Sheik, who just smiled sarcastically at him (despite knowing he wouldn't see it due to his mask.)

Nobody spoke for the rest of the ride back to the stables. Zelda dismounted, the action only slightly clumsy, and handed the reins of her horse to the stable master. She immediately took off in the direction of the castle proper, because she'd kept her father waiting long enough as it was. When the brown-haired man offered to take the reins of the Hero's horse, he politely declined and led his horse into the stable himself. Instead of letting the stable master take care of Nox, Sheik followed the Hero's lead (for once) and insisted on doing it himself. Despite the fact that he was legitimately exhausted, of course.

When the Hero noticed him unsaddling Nox, he muttered something that sounded an awful lot like "Stubborn bastard."

Normally, this would have been enough for Sheik to pick a fight with him, but he was too tired to care much. But he'd remember this later.

He exited the stables and headed up to the castle, encountering literally no one else. This meant that the walk was fairly unstressful, aside for the section where he had to walk past his aunt's door. Though Sheik wasn't much of a believer in the three Golden Goddesses or Hylia, he was definitely counting his blessings as he slipped past his aunt's office. Light spilled out of her office from the door that had been left slightly ajar, as his aunt was so fond of doing. She said it was so that nobody tried to sneak up on her, but Sheik thought she just couldn't stand being completely cooped up in a small room like that for hours on end. He didn't blame her, since he was the same way.

When all was said and done, they really were very similar. But he didn't like dwelling on that fact for too long, because it made him feel slightly sick. His relationship with Impa was complicated at best, and being compared to her almost felt like a backhanded compliment. So the mere fact that he was actually much like her was just...

Ugh, he was overthinking this. In any case, he managed to slip past his aunt's office without her noticing him. After he was a little ways down the hall from her door, he breathed a sigh of relief and whispered a silent thanks to Nayru. As the goddess of wisdom, she was the only one of the three Golden Goddesses he actually made an attempt to pray for. The Sheikah as a race tended to pray to Hylia, but he'd grown a bit disillusioned with the idea of praying to a goddess who had sentenced his race to suffer in the shadows of the Royal Family for countless generations. Wisdom was something he understood. Wisdom was tied to knowledge, which was tied to books, and Sheik had always liked books. 

And, of course, there were the ancestor spirits. It was widely believed that when a person died, their spirit was placed into the dominion of one of the five minor deities that took the shape of frogs. As a result, the five statues near the Elder's House back in Kakariko served as places to pray to the class of spirit that the minor deity ruled over. There were other statues scattered about Hyrule that would work if you were traveling and really needed to speak to the spirits, but the five in Kakariko were the most powerful. Mostly because they were individual statues for each minor deity, and not the singular statue or odd groupings of less than five that you would usually find.

Supposedly the minor deities relayed the prayers they received at their stones to the proper spirit in the afterlife, and that spirit would then take an action to answer the prayer. Sheik had stopped praying to the ancestor spirits when he turned ten, and he got definitive proof that it was a waste of his time. But he knew that many people still prayed to them, so he kept his opinion to himself.

Of course, none of this really mattered in the long run. His personal beliefs didn't matter as long as he fulfilled his mission.

He shook his head to clear it, which only succeeded in making him faintly dizzy. He placed a hand against the stone wall of the castle. It was cool to the touch, which helped cut through the haze of sleepiness in his head.

It wasn't too much farther to his room, and he kept himself awake by slipping off his gloves and clenching his fists so hard his nails left marks in his palms. When he finally made it back, Sheik pulled his mask down and took a deep breath. He closed his eyes and leaned back against the door. After a second, he forced himself to keep moving, because he knew that if he stopped now, he'd probably just fall asleep standing up.

Moving a bit more sluggishly than usual, it took him a fair amount of time to remove the minimal armor he wore over the skintight bodysuit favored by Sheikah warriors. The bodysuit itself was made of cloth that was almost as tough as the armor Hylian knights wore. It was essentially armor with the flexibility of regular cloth, which was great for sneaking around like many Sheikah were fond of doing.

As usual, he slipped out of his bodysuit, folded it, and then pulled on a somewhat loose black tank top and a black pair of shorts. Once he had changed, he made the mistake of glancing up at the small mirror that was located on the wall.

His tired red eyes stared back at him, peering through the messy curtain of his bangs. Without thinking his actions through, he brushed his bangs back into a more orderly arrangement. This left the ugly scar across the bridge of his nose on full view, of course. When he'd initially received the cut, he'd been lucky that the blade hadn't been a few inches higher, otherwise he would've been blinded. Now he was just left with this scar to remind him what happened when he failed.

He had only been ten years old.

Coincidentally, that was the same day he'd received proof that the ancestor spirits were nothing more than a lie he and so many Sheikah had been told.

_"Please, it wasn't my fault! I'm sorry, it won't happen again, I-"_

Sheik flinched away from the mirror.

Enough dwelling in the past. He needed some rest.

Thankfully, he fell asleep seemingly right as his head hit the pillow.

-/-/-/-

The next morning, when he arrived at Zelda's door, the Hero wasn't actually there. The princess herself actually slipped out of her room almost as soon as he got there. She was wearing her royal blue dress, which meant that they'd be staying inside today.

"Where's-" Sheik started asking, but Zelda cut him off with a mischievous look in her eyes.

"He's otherwise occupied. Come on, we're going to the library." Zelda grabbed his hand and started pulling him in the direction of the library.

"Zelda, hold on a moment!" Sheik protested. "What's going on?"

"I told you, we're going to the library. Link got pulled into doing some training exercises with the Royal Guard. Then he's supposed to go meet with my father for a report." Zelda replied. She waved her free hand around a bit as she spoke to accentuate her point.

Sheik hadn't pulled his hand away from hers yet. Part of it was because he did want to attempt to fix their friendship, and part of it was because it was kind of nice to hold someone's hand every once in a while. Not that he was soft or anything. No, he was a tough Sheikah warrior. He didn't fall victim to useless soft emotions like wanting to hold hands with someone.

"Sounds good to me." Sheik said with a shrug.

"And Purah said that she and Robbie found some new scrolls in the library that they want help taking down to the front gate. They've got someone to take them to the tech lab once they get there, but it's a lot."

"You're in a good mood today."

"Why wouldn't I be?" Zelda asked, a little breathlessly.

Sheik studied her for a moment, still being pulled along in the direction of the library. Under his mask, a small smile touched his face. "No reason." Then he laughed once, not really sure why he found this so funny.

"Looks like I'm not alone, then." Zelda looked back at him and smiled. It was a lot more restrained than he remembered her smiles being, but she was still quite pretty. "I'm not quite used to seeing you wear a mask all the time."

"It was a bit odd at first."

Zelda seemed to pick up on his sudden change in mood. "...I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you."

"No, you're fine." Sheik hesitated a bit, then continued speaking. "I'm afraid I've picked up a few bad habits over the last ten years."

"I get it."

Silence settled over the two of them. He removed his hand from her grip and fixed his gaze on the hallway ahead. Thankfully, they weren't far from the library by this point, so the awkward silence didn't carry on for too long.

Entering the castle library was a lot like returning home. He hadn't had time to visit it since he'd come back to Hyrule Castle, and now that he was finally here, Sheik was almost able to relax. The castle library had been the main location that he and Zelda terrorized as children, since they'd both been bookworms even as five year olds. Nights spent avoiding their parents as they stayed up far too late, reading over the legends of heroes from ages past....

"Zelda! Sheik! Over here!" Purah's voice cut through Sheik's reminiscing and startled him back to the present.

"Please lower your voice, Aunt. We are in the library." Sheik commented dryly as he and Zelda walked over to her. Robbie, who previously hadn't been visible due to the way he was crouching behind a stack of scrolls that teetered dangerously around Purah's head, poked his head up at the sound of Sheik's voice. He smiled cheerfully at him and adjusted the odd glasses-like contraption he was constantly wearing over his eyes.

"Ah, let her have her fun." Robbie said good-naturedly. "The librarian doesn't seem to care."

At this, the quartet all glanced over at the librarian, who was currently helping a knight find their way around the library. She was a small, compact woman in her mid-fifties, with brown hair and dark brown skin. Her glasses were perched dangerously on the tip of her nose. Based on previous experience, her kind exterior didn't quite match the she-devil that was unleashed when she discovered that children were causing chaos in the library. Or if that day was a particularly bad one, and you just so happened to raise your voice a bit too loud. Sheik had experience with both, and it wasn't pleasant.

"Right. Well, when she comes and brings her wrath down on your heads, don't say I didn't warn you."

Robbie laughed and ducked back behind the pile of scrolls. "I'll let Purah do the explanation part of this. She's much better at it than I am."

"That's only because you think everybody else already knows what you're talking about, airhead!" Purah reached over the scrolls to playfully bop Robbie on the head.

"I'm the airhead? Ironic coming from you!" Robbie retorted.

Zelda and Sheik watched the two researchers squabble playfully for a bit. It never ceased to amuse Sheik how his aunt and Robbie could act so childish. They were both in their mid thirties, and yet he knew teenagers who were more serious than they were.

"I hate to break up such a fascinating discussion, but..." Zelda began. The only hint of her actual feelings about the matter was in the subtle shift of her mouth as she fought the urge to burst out laughing. "How do you want us to help?"

"Oh, right. My bad." Purah laughed sheepishly and scratched the back of her head. "Sorry about that, Princess. Essentially, all you and Sheik are going to be doing is helping us carry these scrolls out to the front gate. Robbie and I have almost no upper arm strength, so I think you two will be carrying the bulk of the weight."

"You mean I'm going to be doing most of the work." Sheik remarked. "Also, Aunt, didn't I see you spar with Aunt Impa once?"

"Key word: once." Purah winked conspiratorially at her nephew.

"I remember the day after, you walked into the lab and said something along the lines of 'I have sore muscles in places I didn't know existed, and I was studying to be a healer before this!' It was hilarious." Robbie added with a laugh.

Before they could start another conversation, Zelda cleared her throat. "Regardless of who's actually going to end up doing the most work, we should probably get started."

"Yes, you're right." Purah shot an amused glance over at the approximate location that Robbie was located. "Alright, about how much do you think you can lift?"

Zelda studied the pile of scrolls for a bit, then said "I should be able to manage a fair amount."

"I can carry whatever you three can't manage." Sheik said.

So the four of them divided the pile of scrolls up. Each person had a box that they would put their share of the scrolls in, to make it easier to carry. These boxes were probably heavier than the scrolls themselves. Purah and Robbie ended up taking the least amount of scrolls. Together, they probably accounted for one fourth of the pile. Zelda took one fourth of the total pile by herself, though it looked like she was struggling a little bit. Just like Sheik expected, he was left carrying half of the entire pile by himself. He actually managed somewhat easily, compared to his companions, who were struggling a little bit with the significantly fewer scrolls they had to carry. All those years of training hadn't been for no reason, even if carrying a box of ancient scrolls wasn't actually what he'd been trained for. 

Since the other three weren't as physically fit as he was, they ended up having to take several breaks on their way down to the front gate. Each time they picked the boxes back up was accompanied by muffled curses from both Purah and Robbie. Zelda, thankfully, didn't complain much. 

At the front gate, two Sheikah stood in front of a horse-drawn cart that would carry the scrolls to the Royal Ancient Tech Lab. One of them, presumably the researcher of the duo, was wearing traditional village attire and reading glasses. The other was wearing a bodysuit similar to the one Sheik was wearing, and they were most likely there to provide assistance to the researcher should they run into any trouble. The handle of an eightfold blade peeked over their right shoulder, and at least three kunai knives were sheathed on their belt. 

"Purah, Robbie, good to see you." the researcher greeted, looking away from his escort and nodding his head. Then he seemed to notice who else was accompanying the two researchers, and his eyes widened. "And the Princess! My apologies, Princess Zelda. Here, let me take that." He stepped forward and took the box of scrolls from Zelda. The unexpected weight nearly off balanced him, and his escort had to grab his shoulders to steady him.

Sheik locked eyes with the warrior who was escorting the researcher. They both rolled their eyes, an unspoken agreement passing between them: all these researchers were eccentric in their own ways and rather tiresome to deal with.

"Thank Hylia." Purah exhaled heavily once she set her box of scrolls down. She shook her arms out and grimaced. "Sheik, I have no idea how you're still holding that box."

"Do you want a serious answer or was that a rhetorical question?" Sheik asked.

His aunt waved her hands around vaguely, which was something she did often when she had no idea what to say, so Sheik took that to mean it was a rhetorical question and chose not to actually answer it.

Finally, Robbie stepped away from the cart. This allowed Sheik to put the box down, which had started to weigh heavily on his muscles and he really didn't want to make a fool of himself by dropping it now. Still, he managed to set the box down gently, despite the way his muscles ached.

"Thank you for your help, you two." Purah said, smiling cheerfully at her nephew and the princess. "It would've taken far too long to transport all these scrolls without you guys, so now we'll be able to read them over that much quicker! Hopefully there's something in here about how the ancients controlled the Guardians..."

"It was no trouble." Zelda said with a quiet laugh. "Best of luck to you. Have a safe trip back over to the Ancient Tech Lab."

Purah hopped onto the cart, where Robbie was already sitting. The other researcher followed suit, and then the warrior mounted the speckled brown and white horse that was pulling the cart. She and Robbie waved as the cart started forward. Zelda waved back at them, and Sheik raised one hand in farewell.

They stood side by side for a moment, watching the cart head down into Castle Town. Sheik was about to ask what they were supposed to do now, but almost like she had read his mind, Zelda turned to him and asked "Want to go back to the library?"

"Sure."

Now that they had agreed on their next course of action, they both turned and started walking back to the library. The return trip took a lot less time, since they didn't have heavy boxes of scrolls to burden them. Once they reached the library, Zelda immediately headed toward the section where all the legends were kept.

This was Sheik's favorite part of the library, mostly because it was tucked in a corner of the library and it felt very secret. Chairs that were a great deal more comfortable than the stiff-backed wooden ones that were standard in the other parts of the library were arranged in a little semi-circle, but despite this, hardly anybody actually bothered to come back here.

Sheik walked up to the bookshelf where all the legends dating back to the Hero of Time's era or earlier were kept. He scanned the shelves for one book in particular, and was mildly disappointed when he couldn't find it.

"Hey, Zelda, what happened to _The Songs of Time_?" Sheik asked, peering closer at the section of shelves where he could've sworn the book was supposed to be.

"Is it not on the shelf?" Zelda walked up behind him and took a look at the shelf herself. Upon discovering the book wasn't there, she frowned. "That's odd. Someone might have checked it out. You could go ask the librarian."

He looked over at the other shelf, with the more recent legends, and laughed. "Nevermind. Someone didn't put it back in the right spot." With that, he walked up to the shelf and grabbed the small, leather-bound book he had been looking for.

"Huh. Weird." Zelda remarked. "I didn't think people came back here often enough to look at the books and move them around."

Sheik shrugged. He went and sat down on one of the chairs, unconsciously picking the one he had favored as a kid. Zelda grabbed a book that almost looked like it was about to fall apart at the slightest touch and sat down in the chair across from him.

They read in comfortable silence for a while, just like they had done many times as kids. An afternoon to relax was always nice, but now it was especially important. Which was why he didn't offer a snappish response when Zelda tried to start a conversation with him.

"You know, I'm not surprised that you picked that one."

"What, am I predictable?" Sheik asked, though there was no underlying sarcastic tone in his voice.

"Only slightly." Zelda replied. He looked up to see that she was smiling at him, and hesitantly he smiled back at her. Of course, she couldn't see anything but the subtle shift in his eyes, but it was the thought that counted. "It's good to see that some things won't change."

"Yeah."

"You're still the hopeless romantic I know."

"Just because the Hero of Time and his legends are my favorite does not mean that I'm a hopeless romantic!" Sheik protested.

"Mhm. Sure." Zelda laughed and brushed her hair back behind her ear. "Because I'm sure that the way the Hero of Time was described as being 'the very picture of a perfect knight' or how handsome he apparently was has absolutely nothing to do with why you like him so much."

"Says the one who told me that the Hero of the Skies was your favorite because of his devotion to the Goddess Hylia's reincarnation." Sheik mumbled. He was very thankful for the way the mask hid how badly he was blushing.

Zelda stuck her tongue out at him. After a moment, they both started laughing.

Once they'd both stopped laughing, Zelda closed her book and said "I missed you."

A bit taken by surprise, Sheik took one look at her expression and also closed his book. "...I'm sorry. For disappearing so suddenly."

"I don't blame you. Losing both your parents like that..." Zelda trailed off, her eyes growing distant as she got lost in thought. "I'm not going to pressure you into talking about the last ten years. I know you don't like that. But when you're ready, I'll listen."

"I-" Sheik inhaled sharply. "Thank you."

"So. Take your time. It's alright."

He was about to respond, but he heard footsteps approaching their "hiding place" and promptly stayed silent. A second later, he was damn glad he had, because the Hero appeared from behind the nearest row of shelves. Literally as soon as Sheik saw him, he scowled. This caused an immediate change in his demeanor that was probably only visible to Zelda.

"The librarian said that. You two were back here." the Hero explained before Zelda could ask him how he knew where they were.

"You finished talking with my father already?" Zelda asked, sounding cautiously disappointed.

"Yeah." he cast an awkward glance down at the floor, then mumbled "It's four in the afternoon. So. Not as early. As you think."

"Oh."

"Also. The King wanted me to. Tell you that. We're supposed. To head to Goron City tomorrow. Daruk needs. Help with Vah Rudania."

As always, the mention of the Divine Beast captured Zelda's attention. She grinned, but appeared to remember who she was speaking to a second later and the expression vanished. It was replaced by a cautiously excited look in her eyes. "Excellent. The three of us will leave as soon as possible tomorrow morning."

The Hero nodded. He looked like he wanted to say something else, but he ended up settling for "I've got some. Other things. I need to take care of. I think you're capable of. Doing this on your own."

"Yeah. I am." Sheik replied pointedly.

"Okay. Thank you." With that, he turned and left.

Once he was out of earshot, Zelda looked back at him and said "That was interesting."

Sheik scoffed.

"You know, if I didn't know better, I'd almost say you have a thing for him."

"Are you kidding me?" Sheik asked, his voice totally emotionless.

"You literally have a thing for the hero types. And I saw how your entire demeanor changed when he showed up." Zelda smirked.

"Ha, ha. Very funny." Sheik rolled his eyes. "I don't know how you can keep meticulous research notes and then turn around and get an observation so completely wrong."

Zelda laughed and shook her head. "Whatever helps you sleep at night."

He was quiet for a little while, trying to weigh the pros and cons of explaining why he had reacted like that. In the end, he settled for a very basic excuse- nothing too detailed or she would start asking questions, but enough to hopefully get her to lay off a bit.

"It's the opposite." Sheik finally said. "I can't _stand_ him."

"You and me both." Zelda sighed. "Look, I'm not an idiot. I knew that already. I just wanted to see how you'd react."

"I- Zelda-" Sheik stammered, caught completely off guard by her comment.

"Like I said before. Some things about you really haven't changed." Zelda nonchalantly picked up her book again and opened it back up. "Also, I just wanted some actual confirmation. Doing guesswork on your feelings isn't fun." She looked back up at him, a mischievous look in her eyes. "And it's fun to tease you."

"You should have just asked me, then." Sheik muttered petulantly. He was a little miffed that he'd fallen for the trick so easily, but then again he always fell for Zelda's set-ups like that. Just more evidence that he was so, so bad at thinking with his head instead of his heart.

"I wouldn't have gotten a straight answer and you know it." Zelda responded.

Yeah, that was true. Instead of responding, Sheik just rolled his eyes and opened his book again. After all, it would be useless to try and argue with her any more.


	7. listen

Zelda had decided that they were going to walk to Goron City after the morning's slight detour to the Temple of Time. They had gone with Robbie, who was conducting another survey of the Shrine of Resurrection, to visit the temple and hopefully find something to help with the process of unlocking Zelda's sealing powers. Nothing had happened, like Zelda had expected. At least they hadn't had to walk all the way out to the Great Plateau.

Sheik hadn't voiced any complaints about Zelda's questionable decision, of course, but Hylia above this had to be some form of cruel and unusual punishment. He hadn't bothered to give the Hero a visual check since they'd left the plateau, so Sheik had no idea how he was managing. And he didn't particularly care, either. Let the Hero's feet get blistered. It would serve him right.

Oddly enough, Her Royal Genius didn't seem to be too affected by the walk. Actually, she almost looked like she was enjoying it, considering the slight bounce she had in her step. Though that was almost certainly due to the fact that she held the Sheikah Slate and was outside of the castle.

"My father said that Daruk is having some trouble controlling Vah Rudania." Zelda said cheerfully, her eyes on the screen of the Sheikah Slate. It was currently displaying the map, a function that Purah had only recently discovered. It depicted Hyrule's surroundings in a monotone light brown color, and their destination of Goron City was marked by a red square. "I already have some ideas for how I can adjust the controls in order for him to manage it as easily as possible, but I've based it all on what I saw in Vah Medoh. For all I know, Vah Rudania's controls could be completely different!"

Right now, it seemed more like she was talking to herself, so Sheik declined to jump into the conversation when she paused for breath. Instead, he opted to scan their surroundings, since it had been roughly fifteen minutes since his last thorough look. He and the Hero had agreed that two of them watching the princess at all times was a bit redundant, so logically they could split the job of watching her and the world around her. Sheik had opted to watch everything else, because he was reasonably certain that he could do a better job at it than the Hero could. Of course, he could do the whole job by himself, so naturally he would excel at only needing to do one half of it.

Today was another bright and sunny day. There was less of a breeze than there had been on their ride to Rito Village, so as a result it felt a bit hotter. The trees here had white bark flecked with brown. A couple feet behind the trio, there was a tree that was completely devoid of leaves. Beneath their feet, the grey cobblestones of the road were partially hidden by grass growing between the stones.

Satisfied that there were no assassins lying in wait, Sheik returned his attention to Zelda and the path ahead of them.

"Obviously we have much more to learn about the Divine Beasts. It's really quite exciting!" Zelda glanced over her shoulder and cast a grin back at the two of them. It was rare to see her so... unguarded was probably the right word. Since he'd come back to the castle, Sheik had been struck by just how private she kept her emotions now. Of course, it hadn't taken long before he figured out how to read her like a book again (some things never changed, as his discussion with her yesterday had proved) but the difference was still noticeable. "I can't imagine how difficult it would have been to build them in the first place. The ancient Sheikah really were almost wizards with technology."

"It is pretty incredible." Sheik said, keeping his tone carefully neutral. Even so, his right hand balled into a fist at his side as he continued speaking. "And of course the treatment they received from the King was even more incredible."

Zelda faltered in her step. "The King was wrong to demand that the Sheikah destroy it and vow never to build anything so advanced ever again. His fear led to the destruction of so many documents that could have helped us now. And, in many ways, a large part of Sheikah culture was lost."

"Decisions made out of fear never do anything but harm others." Sheik forced his hand to lie flat against his side once more.

"He's right." the Hero unexpectedly chipped in. Sheik stared at him in shock, partially because he had spoken and partially because he was agreeing with him. "But. It happened. And we can't change the past."

"We only have control over our future." Zelda finished the quote from a hero from Hyrule's past and glanced back at the two knights again. "But, each day, we learn more about the ancient technology just by studying it. And hopefully we can restore some of what was lost in time for us to master the Divine Beasts and the Guardians before the Calamity arrives... otherwise we will never be able to triumph over Ganon."

They walked in an uncomfortable silence for a bit longer. The very mention of the Calamity was enough to completely kill Zelda's mood, as usual. She hadn't outright told Sheik anything about her struggles with the sacred power yet- all that he knew was from second hand sources. It was enough for him to put the little pieces of her behavior together, though. Sure, this was a slow process, but it was better than being completely oblivious.

Suddenly, Zelda stopped, forcing the two knights to stop walking as well. She lowered the Sheikah Slate to her side and turned ever so slightly over her left shoulder to look at the Hero. "If we cannot get control of the Guardians or the Divine Beasts, you are our last hope."

The Hero's jaw tightened ever so slightly, which was the only outward shift in his expression that Sheik could see. He really was quite talented at maintaining a poker face. Annoyingly talented, that is.

"You and that sword on your back must stand against the Calamity either way."

"I'm aware, Princess." He locked eyes with her and the corner of his mouth twitched downwards. "If it was up to me. I wouldn't be anywhere. Near this sword."

"How well can you wield it?" Zelda asked tiredly.

"I'm considered. To be one of. The best swordsmen. In Hyrule. I can wield. This sword. That's not. The problem."

"Then what is?" Sheik snapped, unable to control his temper for a moment.

The Hero looked at him then. His icy blue eyes met Sheik's fiery red, and he was surprised to see barely controlled anger burning there. "It's none of your business."

Sheik was about to respond with something sarcastic, Zelda's presence be damned, when she sighed and said "According to legend, an ancient spirit inhabits the sword as a voice to guide the bearer. Tell me, Hero, can you hear it yet?"

Zelda gave him enough of an opportunity to answer, but he didn't. He just stayed stubbornly silent. Which was more of an answer than his words ever could be, really. After she realized he wasn't going to answer, she sighed quietly and started walking forward again.

It was going to be a long afternoon at this rate. They still had at least four hours until they reached the stable at the base of Death Mountain, where they had all decided to stop for the night before making the final push towards the city.

-/-/-/-

They finally arrived at the stable at midnight. There had been far too much walking for Sheik's liking, even though he was in excellent shape. He could only imagine how Zelda must feel, since she probably wasn't as active as he was. Bookish people never were, really. The sun had long since set, and Sheik had never been more glad to see the cloth and wire model of a horse's head that each stable was topped with. This stable wasn't too busy at this time of day, because most people were already in bed.

"Link, will you make sure we have enough fireproof elixirs to last for the duration of our trip?" Zelda asked. The Hero nodded tersely in response. Evidently he was still angry about earlier. Sheik couldn't exactly blame him, but it did serve him right. "Great. Thank you." She unhooked the Sheikah Slate from her belt and handed it to the Hero. Then she turned to Sheik and said "Sheik, I want to talk to you."

A little confused, Sheik followed her to the back of the stable. She gestured for him to sit down, which his poor feet very much appreciated, and sighed. For a moment, he didn't think she was going to explain why she wanted to talk to him, so he was about to say something to start the conversation when she held up a hand to stop him.

"Is everything alright?" Zelda asked.

"Yes."

"I'm only asking because of earlier. I know you have a bit of a quick temper, but you've proven to be just fine controlling it around people you don't trust."

"My aunt would call that an understatement." Sheik muttered, his gaze fixed on the ground in front of him. Before she could ask him about that particular statement, he looked up at her and sighed. "I doubt I'll ever properly get along with the Hero, so if you're about to tell me to make an effort to be nice to him, you're wasting your time."

Zelda raised her hands in a placating gesture. "I wasn't going to ask you to do that."

"Then what's this really about?"

"Just try not to provoke him. He's Hyrule's last hope, like it or not. That warrants giving him a little respect, does it not?"

"If he wants my respect, he has to earn it." Sheik said flatly.

He stood up again, ignoring the way his feet protested the action, and tried his best to look scary as he walked away. It didn't work too well because he ended up limping a bit, but the spirit was there.

The Hero looked up from counting the bottles of fireproof elixir he had lined up on the ground near the cooking pot, which was where he'd evidently decided to sit down. The Sheikah Slate was hooked on his belt now. That was a relief, because if it was on the ground someone could accidentally step on it or something. Sheik sat down across from him and stared blankly at the nine bottles of elixir on the ground.

"Lover's quarrel?" the Hero asked quietly.

Sheik legitimately choked as he inhaled. He coughed for a good thirty seconds, desperately trying to get air into his lungs again. "...I'm sorry?" he wheezed once he could sort of breathe again.

Oddly enough, the Hero's mouth twitched almost like he was going to smile. "You and the Princess have. An interesting relationship. From what I've seen."

"Maybe so, but not in that way." Sheik could breathe properly again, which was a relief.

"Coulda fooled me." He shrugged and unhooked the Sheikah Slate from his belt. "Do you like her. Like that?"

"Why do you care?" Sheik asked, a little snappishly.

"Well. I'm not sure." The Hero dropped his gaze. If Sheik wasn't mistaken, that was a hint of a blush on his face, which was... strange.

"I don't. Like her in that way, I mean."

That caught his attention. He looked up again, any hint of embarrassment gone. "Really?"

"Really." His tone made it clear that he wasn't willing to continue this discussion, and all he could hope was that the Hero picked up on it and stopped asking questions.

Sure enough, the Hero didn't try to push it any further. He just tapped the Sheikah Slate to each of the elixirs in turn. They disappeared with a soft popping noise and a brief flash of blue light.

Well. That had been mildly stressful. The last time he'd had a variant of this conversation (not centered around Zelda, but rather a pretty Sheikah girl named Aiya), it hadn't ended well. Actually, no. That was an understatement. After that conversation, Daisuke and the other boys who were tripping over themselves to get a chance to talk to Aiya had started telling anybody who would listen that he was most likely gay.

Looking back, they weren't wrong, but it had been terribly upsetting to his ten year old self. And, of course, it had led to a cruel prank a few months later that had led to-

No. Don't go there.

In the end, who he was attracted to was none of those boys' business then, and it certainly wasn't any of the Hero's business now. Not unless he proved himself worthy of respect, because there was no way Sheik would dare to trust him enough to talk about that unless he respected him, and he highly doubted that would happen.

Now that he had completed the task Zelda had given him, Sheik could tell that the Hero didn't know what to do with himself. Sucks for him. Though, truth be told, he didn't really know what to do either. All they could do was wait for Zelda to reappear, because she was making sure they had a spot to sleep for the night.

It was mildly irritating that they couldn't have much free will, thanks to the King's strict decree. He was willing to bet that if it was just him, the King wouldn't need to be so harsh.

This was a dangerous line of thought to follow when he was literally sitting five feet away from the Hero. But, then again, seeing his damn face only made it more tempting to entertain the possibilities of what could have happened. What should have happened.

He allowed himself to run over these hypothetical outcomes for a little while, before attempting to get his emotions under control with some mental exercises Impa had taught him for this very reason. After all, it wouldn't do if Zelda came back and found him pouting (even if he hated to use that exact word to describe what he was doing, he had to admit that it was painfully accurate at times.)

Around fifteen minutes later, Sheik was feeling a lot calmer and Zelda still hadn't come back. The Hero's careful glances around the open front area of the stable where the two knights were sitting had slowly begun to get more and more frequent. That happened to be the only outward sign of the anxiety that was likely wreaking havoc inside his head. The source of his concern eluded Sheik, though. Why did he care that much about the princess if he was just following orders?

This knight really was a mystery wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a rock-solid mask of uncaring. It was infuriating.

Sheik was about to suggest that they get up and go look for the wayward princess when she came walking out of the stable's main room, talking with a mildly attractive young stable hand. The stable hand had dark brown hair and even darker skin, and he held a broom with his right hand. Both knights rose to their feet upon seeing her, though Sheik winced slightly as his sore feet were forced to take his weight once more. The softly muttered curse from beside him said enough about the Hero's feelings on the matter.

"Where did you go?" Sheik asked, trying his hardest not to sound accusing.

"To clear my head." Zelda replied cryptically. "And also get beds for the three of us."

The two knights glanced at each other. To Sheik's surprise, the Hero actually rolled his eyes slightly before returning his focus to the princess and the stable hand who was still standing beside her.

"Right. Well. Should we..?" the Hero asked, a bit haltingly. Another odd thing about him that Sheik had noticed- whenever the princess was around, he spoke in choppy sentences, if he even spoke at all.

"Yeah." Zelda nodded. The Hero held the Sheikah Slate out to her and she took it, hooking it on her belt as usual. She led them into the stable's main room, which doubled as the sleeping area. The stable hand muttered a brief farewell and then walked off in the direction of where the horses were stabled. Sheik barely even noticed he left, if he was being completely honest. Normally, he would have paid a lot more attention to his surroundings, but he wasn't thinking very clearly right now. Which was weird, because usually it took a lot more than a lot of walking to wear him out, but whatever. 

It didn't take long for him to get ready to go to bed- all he really did was take off the extra leather armor pieces he wore, and his mask. But almost as soon as he did so, he turned his back to both Zelda and the Hero.

He felt... odd, not wearing his mask around someone who hadn't seen his face in ten years and a complete stranger who was his rival. Sheik was half tempted to put it back on and risk suffocating. But he decided against it, since he wasn't that stupid.

It took him a while to relax enough to go to sleep, despite how tired he was.

-/-/-/-

They left the stable at five in the morning. While they walked, there was still a lingering tension between all three of them that made it tough to actually initiate a conversation. Since Zelda was the one who usually did that, and she didn't look likely to try, they were silent. Also, only getting five hours of sleep wasn't helping much.

At least it gave Sheik time to appreciate the scenery, when he wasn't busy looking for Yiga Clan assassins. They might not enjoy being around Death Mountain, but that didn't mean they wouldn't pass up an opportunity like this. Luckily for him (or the would-be assassins), he couldn't find anybody lying in wait.

The green grass and trees soon gave way to red rock surrounding them and black gravel beneath their feet. As they walked, the air got noticeably hotter. This heat was different from the heat of Gerudo Desert. A lot different, actually. The air of Gerudo Desert was dry and the heat was borderline oppressive, but here, breathing almost felt like trying to inhale live coals. Since Sheik had never actually been to the Eldin region before, the experience was new and altogether unpleasant.

Almost as if Zelda read his thoughts, she unhooked the Sheikah Slate from her belt and summoned three fireproof elixirs from the Slate's inventory. She very nearly dropped one of them, causing the Hero to step in and hold them while she placed the Slate back on her belt. Once she was done with that, she grabbed two of the elixirs from him and handed one to Sheik.

"These don't taste good." Zelda warned. She popped the cork on the small glass vial and stared distastefully at the brownish red liquid inside.

Sheik followed suit, staring at the liquid of the elixir for a moment before pulling his mask down and hurriedly downing it. He pulled his mask back up before he'd even had a chance to swallow, casting a nervous glance over at his two companions. Had they seen his face? Or, more importantly, the scar? Nayru, he hoped not. Last night had been bad enough.

Once he did swallow, though, he had to fight the urge to spit it out. Somehow, it was both bitter and sour at the same time. The only elixir he'd ever had was a speed-boosting one, and that had been just straight up bitter. But this one was also sour, for some reason, and it was absolutely horrible.

"I've never had to drink one of these so early. Usually it's not a problem until well after Goron City." Zelda sighed and tapped the empty bottle to the Sheikah Slate. It vanished, getting stored in the inventory once more. She collected the other empty bottles and repeated the process.

"Yeah." The Hero made a disgusted face for approximately half a second, then it was back to the regular emotionless mask. "Never have liked those."

"I'm starting to see why Goron City gets so few visitors." Sheik said dryly. "Glad I never had to come out here before, if it means drinking those regularly."

"You are missing out on the city itself, though. It's quite lively." Zelda commented.

Oddly enough, despite the fireproof elixir, the air was harder for Sheik to breathe. He was almost tempted to pull his mask down and see if that helped at all, but his honor (okay, his pride) wouldn't let him. Thankfully, as he waited a little while for the elixir to work a little more, the suffocating feeling disappeared.

They passed through the Southern Mine at about noon. None of the Gorons, who were hard at work chipping away at huge chunks of ore deposits, even noticed their presence. It had already been a miserably long walk, but at least they were getting closer to the end goal. At this rate, they'd be lucky to arrive in Goron City by nightfall.

Despite Sheik's pessimistic prediction, they actually ended up walking under the wrought iron gates of Goron City at three thirty in the afternoon. As they did so, several Gorons waved at the trio and called out cheerfully to them. The attention made Sheik feel a little uncomfortable. He much preferred the atmosphere of Rito Village, where nobody gave you a second glance.

"There ya are!" came Daruk's booming voice from somewhere on Sheik's left. The Goron Champion came rolling towards the three of them, thankfully stopping a good six feet away from them and walking the rest. "I was beginning to wonder what happened to the three of ya."

"It's a long story." Zelda replied good-naturedly.

"Either way, it's good to see ya." Daruk (lightly) clapped Zelda on the back and laughed. "Rudania is this way, Princess. I'll show ya what I've been having trouble with to make it easier to fix."

Zelda looked back at the two knights accompanying her and paused. She seemed to be considering whether or not it was worth it to ditch the two of them. "Daruk, is Vah Rudania inaccessible to a person on their own, like Vah Medoh is?"

"Nah." Daruk shook his head, generating a small clinking noise from the chain that he wore across his chest in addition to the blue Champion's bandana. "Your knights should have no problem getting to it."

"Well, in that case..." Zelda sighed softly. "Sheik, I'm going to need your help with the controls. Link, you can stay with Daruk."

Both Sheik and the Hero nodded, perfectly content with this arrangement.

With that decided, Daruk led the princess and her knights to the Divine Beast. The sheer scale of it up close was awe-inspiring, and Sheik had to fight the urge to run ahead and gawk at everything like he was five. He had never actually been this close to one of the Beasts before, because he had been too busy with training when Purah was initially called to research them after their discovery. Also, he didn't have much interest in studying ancient technology. He found it mildly fascinating, but it wasn't something he was likely to pursue beyond a casual interest.

Either way, there was no denying that Vah Rudania was a marvel of a structure. The exterior consisted primarily of an odd stone-like material, interspersed with exposed glowing blue machinery. It was shaped like a lizard, complete with four three-toed legs. Overall, the most impressive thing about the exterior was the size of the Divine Beast.

The interior, however, was an entirely different story. The main chamber, where they entered, was set in the belly of the beast, and was a large space with beams running across it. Thin panels of glowing blue Sheikah runes were inlaid in the walls. Several torches carved out of the same material that the Divine Beast was made of were set across the space, each one burning with the ethereal blue flame that powered some ancient Sheikah inventions.

The central terminal was located on the top of the Divine Beast. It dominated the mostly bare space here, and its solid blue glow was quite comforting, in a way. A cage that formed the "spine" arched over their heads.

"Just in case, where are the other four terminals located?" Zelda asked Daruk.

The Goron Champion rattled off a series of directions to her, counting off the terminals with his left hand and gesturing vaguely with his right hand. She nodded after he finished speaking and gave him a bright smile. Then she dashed off to the central terminal and gestured for Sheik to follow her.

"Before you say anything, I'm aware that you are completely hopeless when it comes to doing anything besides picking fights or defending yourself." Zelda said as they reached the central terminal. She crouched down beside the odd flat panel that was imprinted with the Sheikah eye and studied it for a second. Before long, she found what she was apparently looking for, and pried off a section of the pedestal the flat black stone sat on. She tied her hair back to keep it from getting in her face, then turned back to him. She was still holding the loose panel in her hands, and after a moment's consideration she added "I really don't think that you will need to do anything; I should be able to handle this myself. So, feel free to sit down or something."

Well, she wasn't wrong. Sheik's mouth quirked upward under his mask and he bowed, the action oozing sarcasm. "As you wish, Your Highness."

Zelda rolled her eyes at the title, but even so an amused grin touched her face. "You're insufferable."

"You could say that." Sheik shrugged.

"Oh yeah." Zelda set the loose panel down, leaning it against the side of the pedestal. Inside, there was a mess of cogs made from the same material as the exterior of the Divine Beast and glowing blue... things that Sheik didn't have a clue how to describe. It all looked terribly confusing, but Zelda was obviously happy.

After seeing exactly what she was going to be dealing with, he decided it would be an excellent idea to just sit down and wait, not to mention be as little of a distraction as possible. So, he sat down a little ways away from Zelda and the central terminal, in a nice open space where nobody could possibly be hiding.

Spaces like this were his favorite for a variety of reasons, but the defining one was that usually they were very calm. Something about the air of a wide open space just felt like you were supposed to be quiet, and it always did wonders for clearing his mind.

At first, it really was working. But then his thoughts drifted towards his current situation and, of course, the Hero, as they seemingly always did. Which was mildly irritating, because all he wanted to do right now was relax, refocus, and ignore the latest- and quite possibly greatest- of his failures. Likely the only reason it was still bothering him was the fact that Impa still hadn't said a word about it to him. Actually, no. That wasn't quite true. Another factor was how abruptly it had happened. Normally, in the face of a major change in the appointee to a position like this, the former appointee would be given more than a day's worth of warning.

So, yes, he was bitter. Should he still be this bitter about it nearly three weeks later? Of course not, according to the monks' guidance on the subject of forgiveness. But while the monks advised being forgiving, they also advised to have a will of steel and that emotions other than no emotion at all were worthless.

Those damn dead old men (and women, though female monks were a lot rarer) and their contradictory statements.

He was startled out of his thoughts by an unexpected rumbling noise that seemed to come from the Divine Beast itself. Caught off guard, Sheik looked over at Zelda, who was sitting back on her heels and staring perplexedly at the tangle of cogs and blue things.

"Is everything alright?" Sheik asked, getting ready to stand up and walk back over to her if she needed it.

"Yes, I think so." Zelda didn't sound convinced.

"You sure?"

"Well, no." Zelda sighed quietly. "When I tried to adjust the controls, the gears resisted all my attempts. It's like they're all locked up, which makes zero sense because look, they're still spinning." She gestured to the gears, which Sheik took as his sign to come forward and take a look. He stood up and walked over to her, then crouched down next to the open panel of the pedestal and peered inside. While he was looking, Zelda started speaking again. "It's even weirder, because when I poked around Vah Medoh's controls, I had no problem changing them."

Sheik turned to her and raised an eyebrow. She was looking at the gears, completely focused on them, and didn't bother to look back at him. "Does Revali know you messed with the controls of Medoh?"

A slight grin touched her face. She actually did look back at him now, with unguarded amusement dancing in her eyes. "I set them back, of course. But no, he has no idea I messed around with the controls in the first place."

"He was asking for it." Sheik laughed once and returned his attention to the gears. As he watched them spin, he tried to think of what could possibly be causing them to resist adjustment.

"I agree."

They both fell silent as they thought. For a good minute or two, the only sound was the soft whirring of the gears as they turned. Zelda leaned forward and tried to adjust the gears again, to no avail. She kept at it for a couple more seconds, then dropped her hand.

"I'VE GOT IT!" Zelda exclaimed, sitting up so quickly that she smacked her head on the underside of the black panel that rested on top of the pedestal. She muttered a curse that no princess had any business knowing and rubbed the sore spot on the back of her head. "The reason I can't adjust the gears is because Daruk hasn't linked properly with Rudania yet."

"What do you mean?" Sheik asked.

"All the notes about the Divine Beasts that we've recovered keep referencing something called the Linking. Purah theorized this meant that the pilots would have to perform some kind of ceremony to join their mind with the Beasts's control mechanisms, but new research has shown that the Beasts themselves have minds of their own. So, now, the leading theory is that the Linking refers to the way the pilot and their Divine Beast have some kind of mental connection, or a link- which is where the name comes from- and I don't think Daruk has done this properly yet." Zelda explained. She was speaking very quickly and it was a bit difficult for Sheik to keep up, but he managed to get the gist of what she was saying.

"So you think that the problem is in Daruk's head, not the mechanisms themselves?"

"Yes, exactly." Zelda nodded. "I'm not sure how I would help him do this, because what we do have on the Linking is very vague. Revali wasn't any help whatsoever, so this is going to be difficult..."

She stood up and winced, her hand going back to the spot on the back of her head that she had probably bruised, then began cautiously making her way over to where Daruk and the Hero were idly chatting. Sheik chose not to follow her, mostly so he didn't need to interact with a certain someone. But then he felt like he wasn't doing his job properly, so he stood up with a sigh and headed over to the other three.

"...gears aren't letting me adjust them, and I think I know what you need to do, but I'm not sure you can accomplish it." Zelda was saying as he arrived.

Daruk frowned thoughtfully. "That's strange."

"What I believe you need to do is establish a mental link with Vah Rudania. But I haven't got a clue how you would go about that."

"Why not just let him. Wander around the Divine Beast?" the Hero asked quietly.

Zelda blinked in surprise. "Actually... that's not a bad idea."

To Sheik's disgust, the Hero actually looked mildly pleased by hearing Zelda say that. Of course he was the one to come up with the solution. Wasn't he just _amazing?_ Look at him, the golden standard of all knights. Able to follow orders perfectly and even come up with solutions all by himself.

Why couldn't he just fuck up once so Sheik would have proof that he wasn't perfect?

"Daruk, try going and checking in at each of the four terminals before coming back up here. While you're down there, I... don't actually have any more ideas. But something might come to you." Zelda said.

"Gotcha." Daruk gave her a thumbs up, then curled himself into the peculiar ball form that all Gorons could take and rolled over to the ladder that they had used to access the top level of the Divine Beast. It was a lot more efficient for them than walking, since their walking speed was... less than speedy.

And now they had to wait. This likely wasn't going to be a very fast process.

Oh joy.

While they waited, they each had to drink another fireproof elixir, because they could feel the air starting to burn their lungs again. As before, it wasn't a very pleasant experience, and the elixir didn't taste any better the second time around. All this, plus the fact that he was even more annoyed with the Hero than usual, just added to the bad mood Sheik found himself spiraling into.

An hour passed. Then two. The whole while, nobody spoke. It seemed like the vast majority of their time together was spent in silence, which was perfectly fine with Sheik. The less time he spent actually interacting with people in general, the better.

When Daruk finally emerged from the lower deck of the Divine Beast with his trademark grin on his face, the sun had slipped close to the horizon, beginning to paint the sky with the soft oranges and yellows of sunset.

"Well? Did it work?" Zelda asked, jumping up from her sitting position and slightly tilting her head to the side. Both Sheik and the Hero remained sitting, however.

"Yeah!" Daruk replied energetically. "It's hard to explain, but it's like Rudania is listening to what I think."

Sheik looked over at the Hero and snickered when he saw the weirded out expression on the blonde's face. "What's the matter? Are you scared or something?"

The Hero turned his head and legitimately glared at him. "Scared? Yeah right."

"Prove it."

"Are you trying to. Get me to. Make a fool outta myself?" The Hero winced as his accent showed up again. Either Sheik was already used to hearing him speak that he didn't register the accent itself anymore or the Hero was already losing it. Which didn't make any sense, because he presumably hadn't been away from his home for that long.

"No. But is that a challenge?"

His eyes narrowed, the words hanging dangerously in the air between them. "You know damn well that it. Wasn't."

"Oooh, look at you. Better watch yourself. What would Zelda say if she heard you using language like that?"

"I don't really care what. She would say." he growled. "Look. I'm not. _Scared_ of this tech. It's new. And I don't. Understand it. I'm just confused by it. Got that?"

"Yeah, sure. Whatever you say." Sheik rolled his eyes. He was definitely smirking under his mask, and he was pretty sure that the Hero knew it too, as evidenced by his annoyed scoff that followed Sheik's words.

Zelda, who had walked over to the central terminal with Daruk, returned to where they were sitting and glanced suspiciously between the two of them. "Is... everything alright?"

"Yes."

"Fine."

"Well, in that case, it's a bit too late to set off from the city tonight. We wouldn't make it to the stable until four in the morning or so. So we'll have to stay here." Zelda said, all business as usual. At least whenever it involved giving them information. Good thing one of the three was actually capable of intelligent thought.

Sheik took another look at the sky and nodded. "Yeah, that makes sense."

The Hero was either really pissed off about their little conversation or he literally just didn't have an opinion on this development, because he didn't say anything. Sheik was willing to bet it was the first one.

"Daruk wanted to stay here for a little while longer and keep practicing with Rudania, but he said that we can head back to Goron City now if we want to. Tomorrow, I'm going to watch him go through some drills early in the morning, and then we'll head back to the castle. I just want to make sure that he's managing properly now." Zelda explained. "I don't really mind either way, so what would you two prefer?"

"I don't care." The Hero said flatly. Yeah, he was mad. Hilarious.

"Looks like it's up to you anyway, Zelda." Sheik replied. "I also don't really care."

"Right, well. Great help you two are." Zelda jokingly rolled her eyes and reached up to take her hair down. "Back to Goron City it is, then."


	8. hate

Sheik was standing outside Impa's door, feeling faintly like he was going to be sick. He always got like this before he had to talk to his aunt, but this time it was particularly bad. Probably because she had looked borderline pissed off when she asked him to come see her at the next opportunity he had. The fact that he'd had to keep her waiting for nearly a week was probably contributing to his nerves.

Initially, she had come up to him after he returned from Goron City with the Hero and Zelda. For a second, he had thought that she was going to yell at him in front of the Princess and the other knight, but thankfully she hadn't. Of course, she never yelled at him in front of other people, but the fear still remained.

And now here he was, standing in front of the door to her office. Sheik reached out to push the door open and was mildly horrified to see how badly his hand was trembling.

"Get it together, dumbass." Sheik muttered under his breath. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath in an attempt to force himself to calm down. It didn't work too well, but at least his hands weren't shaking so badly anymore. He pushed the door open, already feeling the weight of Impa's gaze on him.

He slipped into the room and closed the door behind him. Then, without so much as a second thought, Sheik dropped to a kneeling position with both hands behind his back and his head bowed, like all Sheikah children were taught to do in order to show respect for their elders in a setting like this. He barely even had enough time to register where she was standing (in front of her desk with her arms crossed) before he did so. 

Impa didn't say anything for a long time. Sheik was tempted to look up and see if her expression had changed at all from her usual stone-faced glare, but that would get him slapped for sure.

"You may stand." Impa finally said.

He stood up, but he kept his hands behind his back and his head down. It felt more than a little humiliating, like always, but he knew that was the point of it. He knew he was in trouble judging by the fact that it had taken her so long to say anything, so it was just a matter of waiting for her to lash out.

"I assume you are already aware of what I am going to say."

Sheik nodded.

"To put it simply, you failed." Impa said coolly. Her calm tone was highly deceptive to anyone who wasn't familiar with the way she expressed displeasure or anger. To anyone who was, like Sheik, it was a clear sign that she wasn't just pissed off. She was _furious._ And that was terrifying. "Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

"No, Aunt." Sheik whispered.

"What was that?" Impa asked, her voice rising a bit.

"No, Aunt." Sheik repeated, this time forcing himself to speak up like she wanted him to. "I have no excuses."

"Good." Judging by the footsteps and the subtle rustle of clothing moving, Impa had started walking. Which was never a good sign. "After all these years you spent preparing, you still failed. Do you know what that tells me?"

"That I am nothing more than a failure." Sheik replied numbly. He had heard this so many times over the years, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt.

"Yes." Impa stopped walking in front of him. "Look up at me."

Sheik flinched, but he did as he was told. Well-controlled fury burned in her eyes, and the slight downcast turn of her mouth was enough to tell him how angry she was with him.

"You are supposed to be better than this. The Master Sword should not have mattered." Impa continued. "And yet, by allowing yourself to be surpassed by some no-name Hylian from Hateno Village, you have proved that you are always going to be a disappointment."

He looked down again, desperately hoping that it would hide the expression on his face. To anybody else, his emotions would be unreadable, but Impa could read him like a book. Even now, he knew that she could tell he was upset. And like always, she didn't care.

Had he been a weaker person, he would have likely been begging for a second chance by now. But Sheikah didn't beg. They took every hurtful word and distanced themselves from them. They did not feel, for emotions were of no use to a weapon.

No matter how many times Sheik told himself that, he still couldn't quite put it into practice. He couldn't eliminate his emotions no matter how hard he tried. Time and time again, he failed at one of the most basic things that was asked of him. It didn't matter that he excelled in every other area. None of it mattered. He wouldn't be a true warrior until he finally separated himself and his emotions.

"Spar with me." Sheik blurted out before he could stop himself. He raised his head to look at her again. It took a tremendous effort not to let any hint of emotion enter his voice, but he managed. 

Sure, sparring with Impa would likely only destroy his self-esteem further, because he'd never been able to beat his aunt before, but it was the only thing he could think to do. He was already feeling humiliated, so why not make it worse?

Instead of verbally responding, Impa walked past him and gestured for him to follow her. He did as he was told, following a few paces behind her.

They walked to the training grounds in silence. While they walked, Sheik's emotions slowly went from shame to anger, as always. Anger was a constant companion of his, no matter where he was or who he was speaking with. It didn't take much to set his temper off, though he had gotten better at hiding it over the years.

When they arrived, the few knights here snapped to attention as they caught sight of Impa. She quickly allowed them to return to what they had previously been doing with a wave of her hand, and they obeyed without hesitation. Her natural air of authority and the sheer respect that she commanded as a result of it were awe-inspiring, if Sheik was being honest. Times like this made everything so much more complicated, because Impa was both the kind of warrior he aspired to be and the one person he never wanted to be compared to.

She walked to the unoccupied center of the training grounds and took up her ready stance, not even bothering to remove her jacket or the straw hat she wore on her back. Sheik took up his ready stance about ten feet away from her, his expression twisting into a scowl as he took in the blatant disrespect Impa had shown to him by refusing to remove anything that might hinder her fighting ability. 

His temper boiled over and he struck first, an impressive scowl on his face under his mask. The first attack he tried was a right hook, intending it to be a feint, but Impa still caught it and pushed him to the side ever so slightly. Instead of following up on her advantage, she hung back and let him recover from being unbalanced. Sheik tried again, this time with a left uppercut followed almost immediately by a quick jab with his right hand. Impa stepped to the side of his uppercut and under the jab, catching his right hand and pulling him forward.

Instead of sticking his hands out to brace himself as he fell, Sheik tucked his arms in and let himself fall to the ground. It hurt, and he'd probably have a bruise on his side later, but right now he could hardly feel it. He jumped back up shortly afterwards and resumed his attack. Impa either ducked under or to the side of each of his punches, never retaliating with one of her own.

Finally, when a particularly sloppy left hook resulted in Sheik being completely open to any attack, Impa jabbed him right underneath his ribs. An involuntary groan escaped his lips and he doubled over, holding his side. Then, before he even had a chance to react, she grabbed his collar, lifted him up, and punched him across the side of the face.

Black spots danced across his vision, and he was glad that Impa was still holding him up, otherwise he probably would have just collapsed. His cheek was throbbing, and he put a hand to the side of his face a bit like he was in a daze.

Impa let go of his collar and he was forced to stand on his own two feet. A quick glance around at the rest of the training grounds told him that the few knights who were actually here had stopped doing whatever they were doing to watch the bout, and they were now staring at the two Sheikah with shocked expressions on their faces.

"Sloppy." Impa said curtly. "Unfocused. Reckless."

Sheik couldn't do anything but stare helplessly at her. She was right, of course. Usually he would have gotten angry at this, but getting punched like that had taken all his willingness to fight right out of him.

"If you were trying to prove that you are not a failure with this round, then you, ironically, failed. That was pathetic. I know six year olds who would have been able to beat you." Impa snapped. "No wonder Link was chosen over you."

A hint of his former anger flared up then, as any mention of the Hero was good at doing. "I haven't been able to clear my head-"

"Be quiet!" Impa barked. "Excuses will get you nowhere! What matters is results, and what I have seen here is an angry little boy who cannot separate himself from his emotions."

It was true, but it still stung. Especially coming from her. He clenched his left hand into a fist to hide how badly it was shaking and took a deep breath in an attempt to steady his emotions.

"You dishonor the legacies of your parents." Impa said, her voice dropping from a near shout to a regular, speaking tone.

Sheik was quiet for a long time. His aunt was right, of course. She was right about everything. He was nothing but a worthless orphan. A complete and utter failure. The one thing that might have earned him some respect from the one person he had always looked up to had been given to someone else, who hadn't seemed to need to do anything other than draw a fucking sword from a stone.

"All you have proved is that Link was the rightful person to protect the Princess." Impa finished, crossing her arms and ever so slightly scowling at Sheik.

"I _hate_ him." Sheik finally choked out. "I hate that he was chosen over me. I hate how he automatically gets respect because of how he drew the Master Sword. I hate how it feels like he hasn't had to work at all to get where he is now."

Impa's expression didn't waver in the slightest. She didn't answer right away, which only increased the intensity of the horrible mix of emotions running through Sheik's head. After a tense forty five seconds, she scoffed and said "If you want respect, you have to _do better._ Right now, as you are, I do not see how you could possibly be worthy of calling yourself the heir to the Ishida name."

With that, she turned and stalked out of the training grounds, leaving Sheik alone with the knights who were still staring at where their commander had been standing with dumbfounded expressions on their faces. He could practically hear the whispers already.

_"Did you hear what the Commander said to him? That poor kid..."_

_"At least it wasn't one of us this time, yeah? Commander Impa is scary when she's mad..."_

Sheik bit his lip, horrified by the way he could feel his throat closing up and making it harder to breathe. He was _not_ going to cry. Especially not here. His right hand fell from the side of his face, which had just started aching instead of throbbing. This proved to be the only thing he needed to spur him into action, and he started walking to the exit as well.

He made it back to his room shortly afterwards, though it very well could have been longer than it seemed. He wasn't really aware of his surroundings beyond the knowledge that he absolutely could not run, otherwise someone would stop him and ask what was wrong and he didn't want to deal with that right now.

Almost as soon as he closed the door, he tugged his mask down and walked over to the small mirror on the wall. For once, his eyes weren't immediately drawn to his scar, which was kind of nice. Instead his eyes went to the right side of his face, where a red mark and some swelling was already visible. Carefully, he put his hand to the bruise, wincing as his (rather cold) fingers made contact with the sensitive skin. Sheik cursed softly under his breath and closed his eyes.

Worthless. Failure. Weak.

Sheik dropped his hand once more and opened his eyes. He looked terrible, to put it lightly. With the bruise forming on his face, the scar, and the pathetic expression in his eyes, he truly was the very picture of the failed heir that Impa seemed to believe he was. With a sharp inhale, he turned away from the mirror and went to sit on his bed. Both his hands worked their way into his hair, covering his ears like that would stop anything. He braced his elbows on his knees and tried to steady his breathing, which had picked up considerably since he had entered his room.

Under his breath, he started reciting the First Teaching of the Warrior's Scroll, as he usually did to calm himself down. Instead of working, it just upset him further, because it was a reminder of his failure.

_Warriors do not have emotions, for tools do not feel._

_They do not allow their hearts to impede their thoughts, nor do they allow weakness to prey upon them._

_Feelings are a weakness, and weakness results in death._

As he began his third time repeating the lines, his breath caught and a soft sob escaped his lips.

-/-/-/-

Link was in the middle of his nightly inspection of his gear when a couple of younger knights entered the barracks, where he still had his bunk. He had been offered a proper room in the castle, but he had turned it down upon learning that it would likely be placed near Princess Zelda's room. Night was the only time he had a break from essentially having to babysit her and that temperamental Sheikah, and he intended to take full advantage of it.

Speaking of that Sheikah, in all his time in the Hyrulean Army, he had never met one like this guy. He had been under the impression that they didn't actually feel anything aside from an undying loyalty to the crown, but then he had met him and all that had gone out the window.

One one side, it was kind of nice to see that they were actually human and capable of emotions, but on the other... Hylia, dealing with Sheik was absolutely exhausting. He almost preferred the usual unfeeling silence he had come to expect from a Sheikah.

In any case, Link was completely distracted from inspecting the Master Sword's edge when the two knights arrived, talking fairly loudly. That didn't bother him, but there were sleeping guys all around him and a lot of them didn't take kindly to being woken up by the newer knights, so he sighed and raised his head in preparation to ask them to be quiet. The shorter one noticed this motion, a variety of emotions flickering across his face. Then he tugged his buddy over to where Link was sitting and nudged him expectantly. Both knights kind of glared at each other for a few seconds. It got old real fast.

Link cleared his throat to catch their attention, then waited for them to look at him. Once they had, he studied them for a moment. Both of them looked like they couldn't be older than he was, so sixteen or seventeen at the most. The one who had initially spotted him was on the shorter side, with well-tanned skin and a mop of black hair that was just barely passing regulation. His buddy had very pale skin and brown hair cut close to his scalp. "Can I. Help you?" Link asked in an extremely disinterested voice.

"Did you hear about what happened to that Sheikah guy who was gonna be Zelda's knight?" the shorter one asked, speaking in a slightly louder voice than was necessary.

"No." Link replied, a slight frown crossing his face. "Would you be a bit quieter. When you explain it? People are trying to sleep."

"Ah, right. Sorry." the shorter one smiled sheepishly and lowered his voice. "Anyway, Isaiah and I were in the training grounds, when Commander Impa walked in with that Sheikah at her side."

"His name is Sheik." Link cut in.

The brown haired one, Isaiah, jabbed his companion in the ribs and rolled his eyes.

"Cut it out, Isaiah!" the shorter one hissed.

"Then quit being dumb, Nolan!" Isaiah snapped, though he did a considerably better job at keeping his voice quiet than his companion did.

For a second, it looked like Nolan and Isaiah were about to get into a fight, but Nolan looked back at Link and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. Anyways, continuing. They started sparring, and naturally all of us decided to watch because seeing two Sheikah spar is really freakin' cool. But almost as soon as the bout started, it was obvious who was gonna win, because Sheik was fighting like, I don't know, some drunk guy in a tavern."

Link frowned. That was weird. When he had sparred with Sheik, he'd easily gotten his ass handed to him, like every other time he'd tried sparring with a Sheikah. Sure, he didn't have many opportunities for that, since there weren't many (that he was aware of) serving in Hyrule's army right now. When he was younger, it seemed like there had been a lot more. Maybe that was because a vast majority of them had been reassigned into the research department and didn't have time to spar with regular knights anymore. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, dead certain." Nolan replied with an enthusiastic nod. "It was kinda weird because Sheikah are supposed to be these elite warriors, y'know? But I guess even they have their off days. In any case, Impa kinda toyed with him for a bit before she punched him across the side of the face."

"The Commander is scary when she gets mad." Isaiah mused. "Glad it wasn't one of us this time."

"No kidding!" Nolan laughed quietly. "Then, after she punched him, she started going on about how he was a 'disgrace' or something. Was that what she said? I didn't quite catch it."

"It was similar to that, yes." Isaiah said. "I didn't really hear it either. We were a little too far away for that."

Link stayed quiet for a while, tuning out the discussion that the two younger knights launched into after it became clear he wasn't going to immediately react to what he had been told. His mind was racing, trying to put these new pieces of the puzzle that was Sheik into the image he was slowly attempting to assemble. It was hard enough already, thanks to the blonde's apparent hatred of him and his tendency to be very standoffish, but this... it just didn't add up.

Impa was Sheik's aunt, so why would she be so cruel to him? The punch itself wasn't a big deal, considering that happened all the time in sparring sessions, but the way Nolan had described it made it seem like she had been intending to actually hurt him. And then there was the matter of what she had apparently said to him afterwards.

Hylia herself, why did so many things about the Sheikah have to be so complicated? Calling someone a disgrace went far beyond "tough love," as Link would describe the relationship he had observed between Sheik and Impa during the few times he had seen them speaking.

Why was he even trying to figure this out in the first place? Sheik hated him, and some of the stuff he had said to him was downright nasty. Link shouldn't even really bother wasting his time with this, because what did he have to gain from it? Absolutely nothing, as far as he could tell!

Then again, he was supposed to be the Hero of Hyrule...

Nope. Don't even go down that thought trail. Drawing one sword from a stone doesn't mean you have any right to meddle in anybody's personal lives. Keep away from the savior's complex, thank you very much. If Sheik really wanted someone to poke around in his personal life (which Link was reasonably certain he would never want in the first place,) it would likely end up being Zelda who did it. And he was perfectly fine with that, because the less he had to talk to him, the better.

Still, there was a tiny part of him who wanted to figure out the mystery surrounding his fellow knight. He wasn't entirely sure why he felt that way, but he decided it was best to just leave it and contemplate it later. Maybe things would make more sense once he had more information.

"That's... weird." Link finally said, putting a decisive end to his internal ramblings.

"I know, right? Who woulda thought, huh?" Nolan replied, turning his attention back to Link. "I think Impa also said something about him being unworthy of respect."

"That visibly hurt his pride. You could literally see him shrink into himself." Isaiah commented in a deadpan voice. "It was a bit sad to watch, not gonna lie."

"I think you two need to. Find a better hobby." Link said flatly. The conversation had edged fully into gossiping territory now, and while he never would have thought the knights in Hyrule's army capable of it as a child, experience had taught him otherwise. Most of the knights were as enthusiastic about gossiping as the collection of mothers that usually gathered in Hateno's market were. Link himself despised the practice, seeing as he had been the target of vicious rumors in the past. And it was highly likely that he was the focus of them once more, thanks to the legendary sword he held across his lap right now.

Nolan and Isaiah seemed to get the hint. They walked away from Link, presumably in the direction of their own bunks, talking in lowered voices while they did so.

Good riddance.

Link cast a casual glance around at the barracks, taking in the worn stone walls and the sleeping figures of other knights. With a sigh, he sheathed the Master Sword and tucked it under his bunk, hoping the motion would distract him from the crushing sense of distance from the other knights that had suddenly settled on his shoulders. He tugged the little tie that kept his hair back in its usual messy ponytail out and slipped it onto his wrist, since he knew that sleeping with his hair up just caused it to get horribly tangled. This way, the tangles were more manageable.

He laid back on his bunk, tugging the simple blanket that he had initially set off to the side when he sat down earlier over his body and closed his eyes.

Sure, he didn't fall asleep for a while, but it was the thought that counted.


	9. away

"The Princess is missing." the Hero said by way of greeting Sheik one week after the... incident with his aunt.

Sheik blinked in surprise. "What?"

"The King doesn't know yet. But she's. Gone." the Hero answered calmly.

"And Impa?"

The Hero shook his head. "No clue. I only found out through Robbie. Said he was surprised. To see me in the hall. Thought I'd. Gone with her early this. Morning."

"So then she must be with a research team." Sheik brushed his bangs out of his eyes absent-mindedly and sighed. "We need to go find her before the King or my aunt finds out."

"Yeah. That's our. Only option." the Hero agreed.

Side by side, the two knights raced through the halls of Hyrule Castle. It was an unspoken competition between the two of them to see who could get there first, like so many trivial tasks between them were. It had no real impact on anything other than their respective egos and the constant need to one up the other, yet they did it anyway. Zelda had given up trying to stop it a long time ago, but the little competitions always got more aggressive when she wasn't around.

Unsurprisingly, Sheik beat the Hero to the stables by a good thirty seconds (or so). He was considerably quicker on his feet than the Hylian, so it was only natural that he would triumph in this petty contest.

Of course he would succeed in things that didn't actually carry any weight.

He would have scowled, but he knew from prior experience that it would hurt. The bruise on his cheek was still painful, though it was beginning to fade now. He knew from looking at the mirror this morning that it was a sickly yellowish color, which was better than the dark purple of a few days ago. At least this didn't stick out so badly against his skin, because even his mask hadn't been able to hide the top edge of the bruise. Sheik winced anyway as he recalled the conversation _that_ had prompted with Zelda. She had damn near pulled his mask away from his face to look at it, which would have been bad for several reasons. Chiefly among them was the scar. She had no idea about it, and he wanted to keep it that way for as long as possible.

Thankfully, in the end, he'd managed to convince her to lay off, saying that it was nothing more than a training accident brought on by clumsiness. She clearly hadn't bought it, but she stopped pestering him all the same.

Both knights prepared their horses in record time and spurred their horses into a brisk trot, which was about as fast as they dared to go inside the castle's grounds and Castle Town itself. Once they made it out into the field, they glanced briefly at each other and slowed down for a moment.

"Where did the research team go?" Sheik asked, all thoughts of trying to make the question sound sarcastic absent from his mind. He didn't have time for an admittedly petty grudge; Zelda's safety was potentially at risk.

"Robbie mentioned the Hebra region." the Hero's gaze was cast in the region's general direction as he spoke, standing up in his stirrups a bit and putting a hand over his eyes to shield himself from the glare of the sun. "There's a shrine. By a bunch of ruins. The team wanted to. Poke around the shrine. Zelda went with. Apparently."

"Alright." Sheik hesitated a bit before adding on to his statement, because while he may have told himself to set aside his grudge against the Hero for now, it was rarely that easy to actually do it. "Do you want to take point?"

The Hero looked over at him then, an odd expression on his face. "You feeling alright?"

"I'm just fine, thanks." Sheik snapped.

"There you are." the Hero looked forward again. For some odd reason, it almost looked like the hint of a smile played across his lips as he spoke.

"Just answer the question."

"Since you offered. Yeah. I will." Without further ado, he snapped his horse's reins, sending the mare racing off. Sheik followed suit, surprisingly not all that frustrated by this arraignment. Yes, it was a bit irritating to have to follow him (like he seemingly always did) but it made the most sense. He had more information, so he should lead. That was why he'd suggested it in the first place, so he couldn't be very mad about it.

Roughly three and a half hours later, they were crossing the Tabantha Great Bridge. They had to reduce their speed significantly as they crossed it, thanks to the treacherous nature of the bridge. That had been all the Hero's idea. Sheik knew that the bridge was sturdy, even if it didn't really look like it (those wooden planks could look suspicious at a glance) but he said nothing, despite how tempting it was to take a jab or two at the other knight. He had more pressing concerns than a petty grudge- or so he kept telling himself. All the same, the temptation was still there.

Once they made it across the bridge, it was a simple matter of racing down a path that took a few bends past Piper Ridge. At the end of the rock formation on the left, they rounded the corner and found a discreet, if steep, path leading up to the Ancient Columns. Ruins were scattered here and there as they passed, presumably from the civilization who had built the columns in the first place. The angle of the hill forced them to check their speed a bit, but soon enough, they made it up to where the bulk of the ruins were located.

A group of five horses was tethered to a makeshift pole stuck into the ground on their left, and five Sheikah researchers were scattered about the ruins as well. One of them actually called out to the two knights, but they both ignored it.

Zelda's pure white horse was grazing in the grass nearby, and the Princess herself was kneeling in front of a control pedestal on the ancient shrine. As Sheik dismounted, he was struck by how chilly it was up here. Not cold enough to make the use of warmer clothes than what they had on necessary, but chilly all the same. Still, he half wished he was a bit better at the elemental side of Sheikah magic so he could conjure some fire. But he'd proved several times over that he needed a lot more practice with that, so he would leave it be.

The Hero dismounted and started jogging over to where Zelda was, with Sheik following suit. She had turned at the sound of horse hooves against the packed dirt path, and was now staring at the both of them with weary resentment in her eyes.

"Did my father put you up to this?" Zelda asked flatly. She placed the Sheikah Slate back on her belt and crossed her arms, looking for all the world like a pissed off mother. Not that Sheik could really properly recall that feeling. Impa may have been his guardian, but he wouldn't dare call her his mother. Besides, Sheikah tradition dictated that he wouldn't be allowed to do that anyway.

Sheik was about to respond, ready to take the blame for this like he always did when someone was upset with him, regardless of whether or not the thing was actually his fault, when Zelda held up a hand to stop him. She started speaking again, her voice going from totally emotionless to upset and borderline furious. "Never mind. I already know the answer. He did. Otherwise you two wouldn't be in such a hurry. Neither of you knows when to knock it off."

It was almost like a distant echo of his aunt. At the tone of Zelda's voice, Sheik visibly flinched, his hands curling into fists at his sides. He was usually a lot better at hiding his reaction to someone getting _that_ tone in their voice, but he was still messed up from last week's lecture and just couldn't stop himself in time. Whatever he had been about to say completely vanished from his mind and he dropped his gaze from Zelda's, preparing to apologize and hope that would help things when-

"It was my idea." the Hero responded, hardly even giving Sheik a second glance. "I dragged Sheik into it. Because we're supposed to. Work together. To protect you."

"Regardless of my father's orders, I don't need protecting!" Zelda snapped. "I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. Besides, should anything go wrong, there are literally five Sheikah within shouting distance."

The Hero said nothing in response to this, instead pinning her with that seemingly unfeeling gaze of his. That was only going to make it worse, but Sheik couldn't bring himself to say anything.

"Just go back to the castle." Zelda continued once it was clear that the Hero wasn't going to say anything. "Next time, try actually using your head for once in your life instead of just blindly following orders like a dog." She turned to Sheik, her expression tightening for a second. "And you! I would have thought that you knew better than to emulate the Hero's actions."

"Leave him out of this." the Hero replied, his voice rising a bit.

Zelda raised an eyebrow. "So you speak for him now? That's surprising."

"I meant no disrespect, Princess." Sheik finally managed to say. He still couldn't bring himself to meet her eyes, but it was something at least. "I was merely trying to act in your best interest, as was the Hero."

"My best interest would have been to stay where you were!" Zelda exclaimed, uncrossing her arms and gesturing emphatically in the general direction of the castle. She dropped her hand and sighed irritably. "So, please, just go. I am perfectly fine. You've seen it. Now go." She started walking, brushing past both knights. When she was level with the Hero, she paused for a second to snap "And tell that to my father. Maybe he'll listen if it comes from _you._ "

"The King doesn't know. That you left. This morning." the Hero said softly.

Zelda didn't so much as hesitate. She just kept walking back to her horse. Sheik glanced over at the Hero, seeing his own frustration echoed in the other knight's eyes. Oddly enough, there was a bit of worry there as well, but Sheik chose not to dwell on it, since it was far too confusing for him to deal with right now. Together, they started following the Princess as they always did, not keen on letting her out of their sight now that they had located her (despite her harsh words and insistence that she didn't need either of them.)

"Stop following me, then!" Zelda shouted, turning around suddenly and stopping. "If you aren't here on his orders, just STOP."

"You know that. Neither of us. Can do. That." the Hero replied.

She just scoffed and mounted her horse, snapping the reins once she was situated and galloping off. Both knights mounted their own horses once more and set off after her without a second thought.

The rest of their afternoon was spent in complete silence, aside from the sound of three sets of horseshoes hitting the ground, the distant chirps of cheerful birds as they flew through the bright blue sky, and the faint whisper of the breeze through the trees. Instead of returning to the castle like Sheik had expected her to, she turned left at the fork in the path that led to the Royal Ancient Tech Lab. Which actually made sense, considering that she usually retreated to the ancient technology whenever she was upset... even if that was the cause of her frustration in the first place.

Zelda dismounted first and headed inside without ever glancing back at them. After Sheik dismounted, he was about to follow her into the lab, but the Hero stopped him.

"Hey. Um. Can I. Talk to you. For a second."

For a second, Sheik considered snapping at him like he always did. After all, they'd found the Princess, so there was no need to act like their rivalry or whatever didn't exist. But... he'd tried to take all the blame and redirect Zelda's anger towards himself. Why had he done that? It didn't make any sense. He had been nothing but rude to him and yet...

The least Sheik could do was show him a bit of kindness. Just this once.

"What is it?"

"About earlier. I just wanted to. Make sure. You're alright." the Hero responded. "You, ah. You didn't look. Too good. When she snapped. At both of us."

Sheik looked toward the door of the lab and sighed. Before he answered, he returned his gaze to the Hero and tipped his head to the side ever so slightly. "That was... out of the ordinary. I'm fine now. Thank you for asking."

The words felt a bit sour in his mouth, purely because of who he was addressing. He half hoped that the Hero wouldn't try and press the issue any more than this, since it led to a whole lot of things he didn't feel comfortable discussing with _him._

"Okay. That's good." the Hero responded. He seemed like he was going to say something else, so Sheik politely waited for him to gather his thoughts and continue. "In the future. I can take the blame. Like that. If you need me to."

Though Sheik appreciated the offer, the part of him that insisted he be self-reliant and strong no matter what recoiled as the other knight spoke. "It won't happen again." Sheik snapped, his anger briefly cutting through his self-control. Immediately after he spoke, he mentally cursed himself and his temper.

"Whatever you say." the Hero said, a bit of sarcasm creeping into his voice. That was unexpected, but certainly not uncalled for. He sighed, then continued speaking, adopting a bit of a patronizing tone. "Look. The Princess would be. Upset. If you were hurt. So I'm just. Trying to. Look out for you. Protecting her. Means protecting you. As well."

"I don't _need_ your protection. I am perfectly capable of looking after myself."

"I know that."

"You don't need to treat me like a child." Sheik hissed.

So much for being nicer for once.

The Hero didn't respond to that, so Sheik took it as a sign that he could go. He turned and entered the tech lab, shutting the door behind him with a bit more force than was necessary.

It was a good thing he was adept at repressing emotions like guilt, because otherwise it likely would have trumped all of the other things he was feeling right now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry about missing last week's upload- I finally got Age of Calamity and I've been playing it since then. related to this, I may have to move updates to once every two weeks just because I'm running out of chapters that I prewrote ahead of time. normally I don't do author's notes, but I just thought i'd give y'all a little update in regards to that :)


	10. agree

Zelda still wasn't speaking much to either knight the next day, though her mood had improved slightly thanks to the fact that Purah and Robbie were doing a demonstration with one of the Guardians that they had restored to complete functionality. The King was also going to be here today, and though he had made his displeasure with Zelda's decision to watch clear beforehand, he hadn't forced her to leave. 

Her silence was a little unnerving to Sheik, if he was being honest. He understood why she was angry with the two of them, but he almost preferred the shouting over this passive-aggressive refusal to acknowledge either of them. Of course, the King's presence was also a factor. She couldn't exactly talk freely to either of them while he was here.

While the assembled group of advisors and other researchers talked quietly among themselves, the two royals and the four guards accompanying them stayed quiet.

"May I have you attention, please?" Purah said, waving both her hands above her head energetically. A bit surprisingly, everybody quieted down fairly quickly. "Great! So, today, Robbie and I wanted to show off some of the recent advancements we've made with the only other working Guardian we have right now. Today's demonstration _probably_ won't go sideways, like last time. Though, just in case, we have several guards stationed around the perimeter equipped with proper shields. Not that we don't appreciate Link's feat with the pot lid, but it's always better to be prepared."

At the mention of the guards and then the Hero's name, Sheik watched as the rest of the crowd turned their heads toward where the Hylian was standing. A few of them looked over at the guards who were with the King and himself, but most of them were looking at the Hero. Like always. 

Sheik sighed softly and adjusted the belt he had strapped across his chest. He had been asked to carry a shield today, like Purah had just explained. Since he didn't usually use one, he was borrowing a steel shield from the armory. It was a standard-issue slab of metal, adorned with rivets on the outside edge and the crest of the Royal Family emblazoned on it in dull red paint. Thanks to the solid nature of its construction, it was fairly heavy and certainly an unfamiliar weight on his back (and even more so considering that he normally only had his eightfold blade there when he was expecting combat, and it barely weighed a quarter of what the shield did.)

Either way, it served as a good reminder why he didn't fight with a shield. As a whole, Sheikah warriors didn't often use shields, preferring to use their agility as their best defense. Hylian knights, like the ones who would carry a shield similar to this, used brute force to smash their way through enemy ranks instead.

The two Royal Guards flanking the King were wearing the sleek black shields that had been specifically crafted for the Royal Guard by Sheikah blacksmiths. Those had been an attempt to design Calamity-resistant weapons and gear, but apparently they hadn't succeeded. At least, that was what Purah had told him. They had attempted to mimic the temper of the Master Sword and failed, but the result was a set of honestly badass-looking black weaponry. 

As for the Hero, he had a much fancier shield than any of the other knights with him. It was primarily made of steel, as the riveted silver border suggested, but the face of the shield was painted blue. It also had the Triforce on it in yellow, and the crest of the Royal Family in red. Because of course the Hero of Hyrule had a fancy shield to match his fancy sword. It suited him, though. He definitely _looked_ the part of the Hero, but would he really live up to those expectations? 

Sheik tried to focus on the demonstration. He really did. But even though it was quite amazing to see the Guardian walking around the clearing under Robbie's direction, he just _couldn't._ Evidently, it seemed that the Hero couldn't either, as he shifted restlessly several times a minute. 

"Relax." Sheik finally muttered, being careful to keep his voice low to avoid catching anybody else's attention.

"I am. Relaxed." the Hero muttered back, even as he shifted yet again, crossing his arms this time and placing most of his weight on his right leg.

"Doesn't look like it." Sheik remarked dryly.

"These are. Difficult. For me. Too much watching. Not enough doing." the Hero sighed and uncrossed his arms.

"You prefer to be in the middle of battle, then?" Sheik asked, surprising himself with the question.

"Yeah. I'll take. Battle over something. Like this. Any day." he responded, his eyes meeting Sheik's as he spoke. "What about. You?"

"I don't like these much, either." The ghost of a smile flickered across Sheik's face under his mask. For a moment, he was able to forget about his petty grudge and lower his guard a little. Then he remembered who he was speaking to and the moment passed, but... the mere fact that it had happened in the first place perplexed him. "I'd much rather be doing something more constructive."

"Like sparring?" the Hero asked, seeming almost apprehensive as he asked it. Maybe he was worried about getting snapped at, which was a valid concern. Still, not even Sheik could find it in him to be angry about being asked a question like that. Sparring was one of his biggest interests, after all.

"Yeah, exactly." Sheik answered, almost enthusiastically. Still, he was keenly aware of who he was speaking to, so he didn't seem as excited as he actually was.

"Guess we actually. Agree. On something. For once."

Sheik's gaze snapped over to the Hero as he spoke. Was that a... teasing tone in his voice? He was actually capable of emotions like that?

Well. He really did continue to surprise him, didn't he?

"Looks like it."

"Outside of. The Princess's safety. Of course."

"That too." Sheik returned his gaze to the Guardian and Robbie, still trying to feign interest in the display. Normally, he would have thought that it would be rather easy to do so, but oddly enough, he wasn't too angry with the Hero at the moment and he was actually kind of... enjoying the conversation?

Weird.

"And. Ah. Speaking of her." the Hero sighed quietly. "I don't know. What to. Make of her."

"How so?" Sheik asked. He glanced back at the Hero briefly, noting the peculiar expression on his face. He was currently looking at the back of her head, seeing as they were standing behind her on their usual sides- the Hero on the left and him on the right.

"Well. There's yesterday. But she also. Seems kinder than that. The majority of the. Time. I don't Quite know what. To think." he answered. His words almost seemed a bit more disconnected than they usually did, which Sheik guessed was a result of his confusion.

"You're right about that." Sheik said quietly. The words didn't taste bitter in his mouth like he expected them to, even though he was conceding a point to _him_ of all people. Then again... not everything had to be a fight, and this certainly wasn't, so why should he even expect that in the first place? Ugh, this was confusing. "She's not an inherently mean person. She lashes out at people when she's frustrated, but she isn't mean."

The Hero nodded in understanding. "About you two. How long have you-"

Sheik stopped him before he could finish the question. "Twelve years. Though we hadn't spoken in ten prior to last month. And no. I am not going to talk about that any further."

"Wasn't. Expecting you. To."

"Glad we're clear on that."

"Also. I know. She doesn't seem. To like me. Very much. Kinda like you."

"Give her time. She can't really stay frustrated with people for very long." Sheik shrugged as he spoke. "You'll know when she's changed her mind about you."

"What about you?"

Sheik frowned, the question catching him off-guard. "What about me?"

"Are you. Like her. In that way. Too?" the Hero asked, the tone of his voice oddly unidentifiable. It almost sounded like... hope, but that couldn't be right.

"I am not." Sheik said, dismissing his jumbled thoughts with a scoff. "Like I've told you before. If you want my trust, you have to prove yourself worthy of it." 

The blonde went silent for a while following that statement. They both properly watched the demonstration with the tense silence hanging over their heads, each of them wondering who would be the next one to speak.

It turned out that the Hero was that person, as he took a deep breath and said "By the way. I need. A new sparring. Partner. I was wondering if. You would. Be interested."

How interesting. His first reaction was to agree- after all, he'd get to work out his anger on a more regular basis, which would probably help him get over it, and the Hero was probably the best person to help him with it. Sure, that was an unpleasant truth considering there was the matter of what the Hylian represented, but did that really matter?

Also, this would probably help them work better to protect Zelda, so if nothing else, he had to agree for her sake. Somehow that made it a bit easier to accept.

"What happened to your last one?" Sheik asked, mostly because he wasn't going to give an inch to this guy. Not without a fight.

"He got sick of. Getting beaten. Every time." The hint of an amused grin crept onto the Hero's face, which actually was kind of nice to see. As soon as the thought crossed Sheik's mind, it was gone, banished to a forgotten corner of his mind. No way was he going to entertain those kinds of thoughts.

"Guess you really are in dire need of a new one, huh?" Sheik would've laughed, had they not been trying to keep their conversation from drawing attention. "Alright. Sure."

"How often. Works for you?"

"I'm free every night after both of us get off-duty."

"Works for me." The Hero shrugged amicably, his grin fading and gaining more of a shy quality to it.

"You're okay with that?" Sheik asked, just to double-check. He knew that some people preferred to have a day or two in-between sparring sessions to recover and such, though it felt a bit counter-productive to him. Or maybe that was just the drills his instructors had put him through day after day speaking.

"Yeah. Didn't get to. Where I am now. Without daily. Drills." he responded. "Of course. Not all of. Them. Were very. Intense." When Sheik didn't respond, he kept speaking. An unreadable expression crossed his face as he did so. "I hate. The phrase 'naturally gifted.' Makes hard work. Almost useless. But discipline. Is always better. Than just. Coasting on talent." 

"I agree." Sheik nodded his head once to emphasize the point. He was well aware of how bitter his voice sounded, but he couldn't help it. His gaze was fixed on the sword in the gilded scabbard on the Hero's back- was he even aware of how hypocritical that little speech was? Either way, it frustrated him to no end. How dare the Hero of Hyrule, who had been granted _everything_ he had now by being gifted with the ability to draw the sword, preach about discipline versus natural talent.

"So. Does. Later tonight. Still work out?"

Sheik nodded, the action slightly stiff thanks to the anger boiling in the back of his mind. "You want to get a jump start on it, then?"

"Figured that we. Have to. Make up for lost time." A little smile played on the Hero's lips for a second. "I would have asked. Sooner. But you didn't. Seem to. Want anything to. Do with me. For a while there."

"What makes you think I still don't?" Sheik asked pointedly.

"This conversation." 

The Hero didn't seem willing to elaborate on that statement, and Sheik didn't want to ask him about it. His mind was racing- the Hylian was _right,_ in a way, and that... well, Sheik didn't know what the hell to think about it. It was odd. That was the farthest he cared to examine it.

They both watched the rest of the demonstration in silence after that. Oddly enough, the Hero didn't shift around nearly as much as he had during the first half of it.

-/-/-/-

Later that night, after Zelda had gone to her room for the night and dismissed them, they walked side by side to the training grounds. Neither knight spoke much on the way there, aside from one comment from Sheik when they reached their destination on how he was thankful for the lights that illuminated the space after the sun went down.

"Armed or unarmed?" Sheik asked, rolling out his shoulders a bit as he spoke.

"I'll be. Using the Master Sword. Like before. If that's. Alright." the Hero responded. He unsheathed the legendary blade then, the somewhat dim light of a nearby lamp winking off the blade's edge.

"Yeah, that's fine. I'll bring my sword one of these times so it's not just my hands and knives against your blade." Sheik said. "Also, like before, don't worry about hurting me."

A little smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "That's why I. Lost. Last time. Won't happen again."

"If you say so." Sheik shrugged nonchalantly, a slight smirk creeping onto his face. So the Hero had underestimated him last time. It was both insulting and hilarious at the same time, really.

"Also. One more thing." The Hero said quietly, not making a move towards the center of the room yet.

"Yeah?"

"The winner. Gets to. Ask the loser. A question. Can be anything. The other person doesn't have. To answer. If it's. Too personal. But the winner. Can ask something else. If that's the case."

Sheik stared flatly at him in response, refusing to say anything. Which, actually, conveyed his thoughts on the matter a lot better than any words could have. The Hero took one glance at the look in his eyes and sighed softly.

"It's good for. Team-building. I know you. Don't like. That kind of thing. But. It will help. The two of. Us. Work together. Better." The Hero continued.

"Fine." Sheik snapped. A moment later, he sighed irritably and rubbed a hand over his eyes. "Are you really that determined to give me every possible reason to beat you every single time?"

He just shrugged in response.

Without further ado, they took up their ready stances five paces away from each other. Sheik had slipped a kunai knife out of the little box of them on his leg and was now holding it in his left hand, with his right hand up in a guard. The Hero had assumed his usual defensive stance, though Sheik noted that he could easily shift from defense to offence, thanks to the way his feet were placed.

As before, Sheik waited for the Hero to make the first move. He opened with a backhanded cut, which was an odd choice, but Sheik didn't have long to dwell on it. He dodged the attack, leaning back just barely far enough to avoid being cut by the blade's tip. Now he noticed that the Hero was using his left hand instead of his right hand, which he had used last time. Surprised, he filed that information away for later.

Before Sheik could retaliate with a hit of his own, Link jumped back a few paces, resetting their positions. Clever move.

This time, when he attacked, he feinted with a blow to Sheik's head. He stepped in to avoid the blow, and the Hero used this opportunity to jab his ribs with one of his elbows. Sheik winced and used his body weight to shove the Hero back, giving him time to catch his breath. They circled around each other for a moment longer, barely a hair out of place on the Hero's head while Sheik was wheezing slightly. His breathing steadied out a moment later and he decided to take the offensive this time, running right at the Hero and slicing with his kunai knife. The Hero deflected the slice and pushed him back, immediately striking out with a sweeping upwards slash.

Sheik jumped to the side and waited until he had stuck the landing to try a roundhouse kick, pivoting perfectly on the ball of his heel as he did so and making contact with the Hero's side. After his right foot touched the ground once more, he backflipped out of the range of the Hero's sword and settled into a half crouch, waiting for his next move.

When the Hero inevitably came forward again, Sheik watched his arm draw back and then follow through, dancing back just out of reach once more. When he tried a similar cut, Sheik stepped in slightly and grabbed his elbow before he could finish the swing, ending it right before the blade touched Sheik's neck. Then he brought his kunai knife up to the Hero's neck, resting the point there. He was about to say "I win" when a sudden sharp pain in his foot distracted him. Foolishly, he looked down for a moment and pulled the knife away from his opponent's neck. In the next moment, the breath was being knocked out of him as the Hero swapped the Master Sword from his left hand to his right and drove the pommel of the blade into Sheik's stomach.

He staggered back, disoriented from the blow. Thanks to this, he didn't block the next few blows as well as he should have, and he slowly felt himself giving ground to the Hero and allowing himself to be backed into the wall of the training grounds. Even once he had recovered enough from the hit, it was too late to reverse his momentum. That didn't mean he was going to give up without a fight, but even so, his back still touched the wall. A second later the Hero's blade was at his throat, pinning him to the spot.

For a long moment, there was nothing but the sound of their twinned breaths, each inhale and exhale betraying just how hard each of them had been working to best the other.

"I win." the Hero said quietly once he'd caught his breath enough to speak. His gaze was just as effective at pinning Sheik down as his blade, and at this distance, he could clearly see the satisfaction hidden under his usual indifferent mask.

To say that Sheik hadn't been expecting this was an understatement, though only slightly so. He had been waiting to see the Hero actually go all out and show him why he had been chosen to draw the sword in the first place, and now that he had... well, even he had to admit that there was a reason why the Hylian had drawn the sword. But he'd be damned if he even budged an inch more than that on his overall view of the Hero. And he certainly wasn't going to just flip a switch and suddenly treat him with any more than the tiniest bit more respect because of this.

Yes, he was clearly skilled. But that, somehow, that only made it easier to dislike him. Or maybe that was just him trying to cling to his grudge because it was familiar to him at this point and he didn't want to know where the end of this.. _other_ path that was figuratively being laid out before him.

Either way, he stared back at the Hero with matching intensity in his eyes, half wanting to look away from his detestable face but finding himself unable to do so.

"Do you concede?" the Hero asked softly, the tone of his voice a far cry from the look in his eyes.

"..I concede." Sheik responded, only a slight hint of bitterness in his voice. That was to be expected, considering who he was talking to. Then again, losing was never easy for him, thanks to his aunt drilling the need to be perfect at all times into his head. Still, he usually tried to be courteous to people who beat him, and the Hero had proved that he deserved that much. "You win."

As he heard those words, the Hero backed down, removing the Master Sword from Sheik's throat and stepping back to give him more breathing room. Absently, Sheik put a hand to his throat to check for any bleeding. He found none, so he dropped his hand and stared expectantly at the Hero, waiting for the question.

"Well? Spit it out." Sheik finally said as the silence between them dragged on. "I lost. Ask me the question."

Instead of responding right away, the Hero just watched him for a little while longer. Right as it was beginning to get unbearable, his expression shifted slightly. "In the future. What kind of. Things. Are you okay. With. Me asking about?"

The question caught Sheik off guard, if he was being completely honest. He had expected him to either go very personal or very superficial, like most people seemed to do. Thanks to the unexpected nature of it, Sheik's mind seemingly went completely blank for a few seconds. All he could do was stare at the Hero, trying to force his brain to work but being largely unsuccessful.

When he finally got himself together and his head was working properly again, he scoffed softly, trying to keep up his indifferent act. "Anything that doesn't involve my childhood or Aunt Impa. If I come across another topic I don't want you asking about, I'll say so."

"Okay." The Hero nodded once in understanding. "I assume you. Don't want me. Asking about. My. Ah. My appointment. As the Princess's. Knight."

Sheik nodded sharply instead of verbally responding.

"That said. Would you like. To. Go again?"

"You're on."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is now for sure on a two-week update schedule :)


	11. sneak

The last two weeks had been rather uneventful, aside from the fact that Kass had come to the castle for a lesson. Sheik had ended up leaving Zelda and the Hero to their own devices for a little while, and when he rejoined them after the Rito's lesson was over, he was surprised to see that they were actually getting along pretty well. The Hero had been helping Zelda with an experiment of some kind and they were talking idly before they noticed him. He had then been roped into helping them out, and even more of a surprise than the fact that the other two were getting along was the fact that Sheik actually found himself willing to relax a bit around both of them.

Of course, it was back to business as usual after that day, which meant trying his hardest to one-up the Hero at every turn. Their record in sparring against each other was completely even, and by this point they were both starting to run out of surface level questions. But Sheik wasn't willing to open up any further just yet, and the Hero didn't seem willing to either. However, their conversations were slowly getting more natural. Just yesterday, they'd gotten into a whole discussion about blade maintenance. He'd learned some fascinating things about the Master Sword and how the Hero maintained it.

Despite all of this, Sheik still refused to call the Hero by his name. It was hard to explain, but he felt a bit like by addressing him as his name, he would be acknowledging that they were equals, if nothing else. And he couldn't quite bring himself to admit that. Not yet. Though, moments like these where it was quiet and Zelda wasn't around (she hadn't come out of her room to start the day yet) and Sheik could just watch the Hero without needing to worry if Zelda would notice and make some sort of comment about it... they certainly made him question what the hell he was doing in regards to the other knight. 

The Hero was staring straight ahead at the opposite wall, as he always did while they waited for Zelda to show up in the morning. And as always, he seemed to be totally lost in thought. Normally, Sheik would be watching the side of the hallway furthest away from the other knight so he didn't have to look at him. Sometimes his gaze would stray over to him anyway, but he would always look away again.

Today was different, though. Sheik couldn't really pinpoint why, but it was. And now he was staring at the Hero, trying to make sense of his jumbled thoughts but finding it maddeningly difficult to do so because he kept getting distracted by the way the faint sunlight in the hallway brought out the hidden hints of gold in his hair.

Sheik was jolted out of his thoughts by the sound of the door opening, Zelda's blonde hair appearing a second later as she stepped outside. After she closed the door and locked it behind her, she tugged a bit on the sleeves of her outfit, a little grin appearing on her face.

"Are you two all set to go?" Zelda asked brightly. She had been in a good mood all week, though it was still a bit jarring to see her so cheerful while they were still inside the castle. Then again maybe it wasn't so surprising, considering today they were finally going to be heading out to Gerudo Town to check on Urbosa's progress. Zelda had gotten a letter from the Gerudo Champion earlier this week stating that she should come out to the town for a few days to get away from her father and the oppressive atmosphere of the castle, but the trio hadn't been able to leave until today.

Both knights nodded, because speaking was overrated. Zelda usually got annoyed with this, but today it seemed like nothing could kill her bad mood. She hurried past them, starting down the path to the stables. The Hero had gone down to prepare the horses and saddlebags earlier this morning, since the journey out to the desert was fairly substantial and would likely take them a day or two just to make it out there. As such, Sheik was wearing his sword on his back, which wasn't something he normally did. Unlike the Hero, he wasn't too fond of wearing the weapon on his back all day, every day. It wasn't very subtle, and he was all about being subtle. He only wore it when he was expecting trouble, or they were going out on a mission. Besides, even if they did run across trouble that required him to fight, he was more than armed enough with just his knives and his needles. Not to mention the fact that his fists were a deadly weapon on their own. 

"It's been a long time since I properly went out to the desert." Zelda commented as they arrived at the stables. The stablemaster had all three of their horses ready to go already, so it was a relatively smooth process for all three of them to mount their respective horses and set off. Once they were properly underway, having made it out into the vast expanse of Hyrule Field, Zelda added onto her statement by saying "About three months, if I'm remembering correctly. And that doesn't really count, since it was for official business. Father thinks anything other than prayer is a waste of my time, so naturally I don't have much time for unofficial visits." She fell silent after that, the mention of the King putting a slight damper on her otherwise cheerful mood. Sheik could tell that she wanted to say more, but he suspected that she didn't want to talk about it while the Hero was listening. He was going to have to ask her about it later.

And, well, they were long overdue for an actual conversation about the King and the last ten years. He owed her several apologies and a hell of a lot of explanations.

Zelda continued to keep up a (mostly) one-sided conversation for the next hour or so, which was long past the amount of time that she usually tried this. It was a normal enough occurrence while they were outside of the castle, but she usually gave up after about thirty minutes. Her patience had limits, after all. (That patience was usually accompanied by a remarkably quick temper when it ran out. She could go from mildly irritated to flat out pissed off in the space of a few seconds, if it so suited her.) 

Once she gave up on trying to talk with the two knights, the trio rode in silence for the better part of the day. They had to pause for brief breaks every once in a while so their muscles didn't get too sore from riding non-stop. Plus, they weren't really in too much of a hurry, and they ended up reaching the stable in Gerudo Canyon just before ten that evening. Zelda was about to go take care of their rooms for the night, but the Hero stopped her.

"Take the horses. With you. We can't. Bring them into. The desert." he said, handing her the reins of his horse. "You'll have to. Uh. Board them."

"Yes, of course." Zelda laughed once out of embarrassment. "I forgot about that. Thank you, Link."

Wordlessly, Sheik handed her Nox's reins. Zelda gave him a little nod, then turned away and led all three horses up to the stable owner.

Now that Zelda was gone, a heavy silence settled over the two knights. It was far different from the silence that accompanied their steps while she was around, and Sheik was almost tempted to ask the Hero if something was wrong. But as soon as the thought crossed his mind, he scoffed. Why did he care if there was something bothering the Hero?

He didn't.

Right?

Right.

"Did Urbosa say if. She's going to. Meet us outside. Of the town. Or not?" the Hero finally asked, his gaze focused on the back of Zelda's head as she talked with the owner of the stable.

"No clue." Sheik shook his head for emphasis. "Zelda was the one who got the letter. She hasn't shared many details."

"Hmm."

"Ever been out to Gerudo Town?" Sheik asked after a brief pause. He was half hoping that the Hero hadn't, just because the rule about no _voe_ allowed would certainly lead to an entertaining afternoon.

"No. I'm from Hateno. Didn't get out much. Before being knighted. And they don't send. Men to Gerudo Town. Or just the desert. In general. Something about a generations-old. Peace treaty. Between Hyrule and the Gerudo." the Hero responded, shifting a bit on his feet and crossing his arms. "And also. The whole no men allowed in. The town limits. Thing."

Damn, so he did know about it. That was mildly disappointing. Oh well.

"What about you?"

Sheik sighed and closed his eyes briefly. How to answer this question... he could tell the truth and say yes, but he wasn't exactly going to discuss details about it, and knowing the Hero, he was going to ask. It would be easier to lie and say no, but then again, it might complicate things further down the line.

"Yes." At his side, Sheik's hand twitched like he was about to reach for his sword. "The Yiga Clan base is somewhere out here. It's not uncommon for Thirds to get sent out on scouting missions." 

"Those are... Third Rank warriors, right?" the Hero asked, turning his head to look over at Sheik. "I'm not too familiar. With the Sheikah rankings system."

"Yep. Called Thirds for short. I'm a Second Rank right now. I'm working on my First Rank qualifications, but they're going to take a while." Sheik responded. He was happy to talk about the way warriors were ranked, because it was one of the few things he felt like he was doing right. Of course, Impa still wasn't satisfied, but...

"Already?"

Sheik nodded sharply. "Surprised?"

"Yes and no. I mean. From what I know. First Rank is really difficult. Most warriors don't make. It there. Correct?"

"Correct."

"You're only... seventeen?"

"Sixteen. I won't be seventeen for another three months." Sheik frowned slightly. "Could've sworn I told you that."

Shockingly, the hint of a blush appeared on the Hero's face. He laughed softly and shifted to scratch the back of his neck awkwardly. "I forgot. Not great at remembering birthdays. Um. If it helps. I used to forget my mother's birthday. Every year. And I'm still no good at it. Aryll has to remind me. Every year."

The way he spoke about his mother almost made it seem like she was dead. Sheik knew almost nothing about his family- just the fact that he had a little sister, named Aryll, who he adored. But on the subject of his parents? Nothing. It had been one of the topics the Hero requested that he didn't ask about after winning a sparring match against him. From this, Sheik was beginning to see why.

He decided not to press the issue. After all, it would be horribly hypocritical of him to do so, seeing as he knew firsthand how touchy this subject was.

"I get the feeling that your sister is a lot more on top of things than you are." Sheik remarked, though (much to his own surprise) the words held no malice behind them.

"Oh yeah. She definitely is." the Hero nodded. A little grin appeared on his face, obviously recalling a fond memory. "But. Uh. Got a little off topic. You're really young to. Be a Second Rank."

"Yeah, I am." Sheik stood up a bit taller, straightening his shoulders and bowing stiffly to the Hero. "Youngest warrior to ever pass the Third Rank, at your service."

"How old were you?"

"Twelve."

The Hero whistled lowly, an odd expression flickering across his face for a second before it was gone. "Damn. I'd ask more about it. But I have a feeling. It leads to topics. That you don't want me. Asking about."

"You're right there." Sheik hesitated for a moment, trying to decide if it was worth it to add on to his statement or not. In the end, he decided it wasn't worth it _yet_ and changed the subject. Or, well, he was about to, when the Hero started speaking again.

"By the way. Do you mind if I. Borrow one of your. Knives. For a second? I want to take a. Closer look. At the edge."

"No problem." Sheik responded, a little smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "I forgot I was going to let you take a look at one the other day. Sorry about that."

"It's no big deal." the Hero shrugged.

Sheik slipped one of his knives out of the box on his leg and held it out to the Hero, the faint light of the fire by the cooking pot winking off of the razor-sharp edge. The other knight held out his hand to take it, but they both froze as Zelda's voice cut through the otherwise quiet night.

"Oh for-" Zelda sighed irritably and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I was gone for ten minutes! Would you stop going after each other's throats for a day or two? It's not that hard!"

"It's not like that-" Sheik started saying, only to be cut off by the irritated blonde in front of him.

"Like I believe that, coming from you." Zelda scoffed. A moment later, she was all business once more, saying "We're going to leave fairly early tomorrow morning, in order to get to the bazaar before the heat sets in. We'll discuss things from there."

As she spoke the last sentence, she locked eyes with Sheik, and he could have sworn he saw a mischievous glint in her eyes.

Looks like she was planning something. Knowing her, it probably involved ditching the two knights with the assistance of Gerudo Town's law against _voe_ entering the city.

Good thing he had a few tricks of his own, even if he felt like it would do Zelda some good to get away from the Hero in particular.

-/-/-/-

Zelda didn't even try to be subtle about her plan as they approached Gerudo Town a few hours after sunrise the next day. The trio approached the gates, the two guards on either side nodding to her but eyeing the knights on either side of her with suspicion.

" _Sa'vaaq,_ Princess. Chief Urbosa is expecting you." the guard on the left said. "Your knights will have to wait in Kara Kara Bazaar."

Beside him, the Hero cursed under his breath and ran a hand through his hair.

"Very well." Zelda bowed her head, trying to disguise the grin on her face and doing a remarkably terrible job at it. "I'll send a message if I need either of you."

_Don't expect one._

The words went without saying, really. Sheik wasn't too worried about her safety- she would be surrounded by several garrisons of highly trained Gerudo warriors, who were some of the best fighters in all of Hyrule. Not to mention how Urbosa would likely be hard-pressed to let Zelda out of her sight.

Both knights turned around and started the walk back to the bazaar, the Hero obviously straining to keep his temper on a leash. His hands periodically curled into fists and then uncurled as they trudged through the sand. Sheik was extremely thankful that his boots were tall enough to prevent most of the sand that was kicked up by his steps from actually getting inside them. 

They had hardly made it back to the bazaar before the Hero's expression finally twitched and he sighed angrily.

"I can't believe this." he snapped. "I'm _trying_ to give her. The benefit. Of the doubt. But! She makes it. Damn hard to do that. Sometimes!"

Sheik raised an eyebrow and turned to face him. "Relax. If you're worried about her safety, I can assure you that she's perfectly fine. The Gerudo guards are more than capable of keeping her safe. Not to mention that Urbosa is there as well."

"I'm not worried about that." the Hero said dismissively.

"Then what _are_ you worried about?" 

"...I don't like her doing. This. Here. The Yiga Clan are most. Active in the desert. If something happened and the King found out. It wouldn't be pleasant."

"So you are worried about her safety." Sheik said flatly. "Look. I've met some of Urbosa's guards. I've even trained with them, for Hylia's sake. Nothing is going to happen to Zelda."

That effectively stopped the conversation dead in it's tracks. The Hero, who had previously been staring angrily at the oasis that the bazaar was built around, abruptly turned his head to look at Sheik, clearly shocked. "How have-"

"Long story." Sheik dismissed it with a wave of his hand. "Look. All I'm saying is that she's going to be just fine."

Actually, it was _several_ long stories, but that didn't matter.

"Not to mention how. I'm pretty sure. She's using this as an excuse. To get away from both of. Us."

"Oh yeah, she totally is." Sheik laughed sharply. "I don't blame her."

Instead of responding, the Hero just muttered something under his breath that sounded an awful lot like "Smug-ass bastard."

"Look. If it really bothers you that much, I know a way into the town." Sheik finally said after a long and, quite frankly, uncomfortable silence.

"Of course you do." the Hero responded, his words dripping with sarcasm. He was uncharacteristically upset about this. How odd.

"You're not going to like it." Sheik warned, despite how he barely managed to hold back his snicker and the words "But I sure will."

"What is it?"

"Let me put it this way: _voe_ actually means "male" or "masculine," despite how it's usually translated. You should pass pretty easily, so... how familiar are you with traditional Gerudo clothing?" Sheik scanned over the other knight as he spoke, nodding his head as he finished speaking as if making the final check mark on an invisible list.

-/-/-/-

"Fuck. You." the Hero snarled, his arms crossed over his chest and an impressive scowl on his face.

"Perfect, you're already starting to sound like an average Hylian _vai._ " Sheik snickered. "Now sit still, I'm going to poke your eye out if you don't."

He grumbled an impressive string of curse words under his breath, but he did as he was told.

"Okay, there." Sheik stepped back and put the little stick of eyeliner back in the small wooden box he'd bought from a merchant on the other end of the bazaar. He studied his handiwork for a second before nodding. It had been a while since he'd had to do something like this to another person (or even himself) and it hadn't turned out half bad. "I think the water in the oasis should be still enough for you to get a glimpse at your reflection."

"I don't care." the Hero hissed, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "Can we just. Make this quick. The fewer people that. See me. Like this. The better."

Sheik shrugged. "Alright. Your loss. You don't actually look that bad."

"Shut _up._ "

It took a considerable amount of willpower not to laugh again. He was so angry about the whole situation, Sheik was almost surprised that he'd even agreed to it in the first place. If he was being honest, he was glad that the Hero had, for more than one reason.

...and one of those reasons definitely wasn't that he could now see the majority of his bare torso. The other knight had _very_ nice abs, but Sheik wasn't staring. Nope. Not him. He'd rather die than get caught staring at him. This guy was his rival, for Hylia's sake.

So, then, why was it this difficult to keep his eyes away from him?

"Well, look on the bright side." Sheik nudged him with one of his elbows, which only seemed to increase the Hero's bad mood. "You're not going to need to drink an elixir to prevent yourself from sweating to death this way."

"Oh yeah. Because that totally. Makes this worth. It." the Hero rolled his eyes. "What about you?"

"What about me?"

With an irritated sigh, the Hero gestured at the teal and light purple ensemble he was wearing. The veil he was wearing over the lower half of his face was just transparent enough to make reading his expression difficult, as it obscured some of the sharper, more masculine, angles of his jaw and cheekbones. However, Sheik was getting better at reading the subtleties of his expressions as time went by, and he was definitely scowling now. "Are you going to..?"

"Hah! Hell no." Sheik bit back another snicker. "For one thing, I'm not going into the town. For another, if I was going to, I wouldn't actually have to do much. Literally all I'd need to do to pass as a female warrior is styling my hair a different way. I could also ditch the mask and I wouldn't have many problems, but I'm not going to do that."

"How is that-" the Hero stopped himself and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Goddesses damn it. You've done this. Before. Haven't you?"

"Well, if you were paying attention earlier, I did say that I've trained with some of Urbosa's guards. It's kind of hard to do that without entering the town." He could see another question coming, so he cut it off by saying "And no, I didn't have to wear that outfit. The last time I was out here for training was when I was ten. According to several of my oh-so-intelligent peers, I had a very feminine face."

He chose not to mention some of the other things they'd said on that subject before he'd started wearing his mask everywhere. Which, contrary to their opinions, had been from something beyond their teasing.

The Hero looked a bit like he was unsure how to react to that information, before finally settling on being angry about it because of the perceived injustice on his part. "I'm going to. Get you back. For this. Someday."

"Oh, really?" Sheik stepped a bit closer to him and narrowed his eyes. "Is that a challenge?"

" _Obviously._ " he growled. They stared at each other for a tense few seconds, each daring the other to look away first before the Hero dropped his gaze. He turned his back on him and started walking towards Gerudo Town, anger practically radiating off of his figure.

Sheik waited a second before following after him. At the sound of his footsteps, the Hero's shoulders visibly tensed up before relaxing slightly, a reaction which was awfully confusing. Then, suddenly, he stopped and unbuckled the belt he wore across his chest to keep the Master Sword in place.

"I can't have this. With me. If I'm going to be. Convincing." the Hero said, holding the legendary weapon out to him. "Keep an eye on it. For me. Please."

Gingerly, Sheik reached out and grabbed the sword, accepting it with two hands and bowing his head out of reflex. Then, mentally, he kicked himself for defaulting to the submissive acceptance of a weapon. They were _equals,_ were they not?

"I swear on my honor no harm will come to the sword." Sheik said, keeping his head bowed.

"I trust you." he whispered, sounding a little bit flustered. "But you really. Didn't have to do. That."

He looked up, confirming his suspicions that the Hero was blushing slightly. Much to his own surprise, a genuine smile touched Sheik's face, any hint of teasing or lasting enmity vanishing from his expression. "This _is_ an awfully important sword. Impa would flay me alive if I lost it."

The Hero properly laughed then. Any of his own frustration seemed to vanish in that moment,, his stoic mask that was always lying just under the surface and muffling his visible emotions falling away. "That doesn't surprise me. I don't even know. Her that well."

"Trust me, she's capable of it." Sheik's smile wavered. It was hard to joke about what his aunt could do to him because of the fact that each one was a very real possibility. Some of them had even happened before, and as much as he tried to hide it, many of the worst beatings still scared him to this day.

Instead of responding, the Hero just nodded solemnly, the moment of... well, whatever you could call what had just happened disappearing behind his mask once more.

They started walking again, staying mostly quiet. However, the tension that had previously been simmering in the air from the Hero's anger at him had all but vanished, replaced by a different kind of hesitation between the two knights.

Shortly before they arrived at the front gate of Gerudo Town for the second time today, Sheik raised a hand and patted the Hero on the back.

"Here's where we split up. I'll be right under there," Sheik gestured to the spot against the town's wall where someone had rigged a tarp, which was currently populated by several Hylian men wearing backpacks and despondent looks on their faces, "so don't worry too much. I can handle myself should any of these guys get aggressive."

"I'm not worried about you." the Hero replied, a slight teasing tone in his voice. "If anything. I'm worried about those. Poor guys. They have to. Deal with you for a. Few hours."

"Thanks for that." Sheik responded sarcastically, but for some reason he wasn't really all that upset by the comment. Normally he couldn't stand any sort of teasing from him, but today, he was alright with it. Actually, he kind of liked it-

What.

"Right. Have fun."

With that, the Hero turned and walked away, the guards letting him past without any questions asked. Sheik watched him for a little bit, definitely _not_ staring at him. But, of course, that was exactly what he was doing.

He shook his head to clear it, his grip tightening on the Master Sword's scabbard for a second. The decorative metal casing bit into his hands, even through his gloves, which helped to clear his head and bring him back to reality. Holy Hylia herself, what was up with him today?

The other men sitting under the tarp barely spared him a second glance as he sat down in the left corner against the wall. Several of them did a double-take as they saw the distinctive hilt of the legendary sword across his lap, but they quickly looked away again as someone sprang to their feet at the sight of a Gerudo merchant approaching the town.

If he hadn't been charged with watching the Master Sword, he probably would have taken a nap to pass the time. Well, maybe not. He found it remarkably hard to relax in the desert. Knowing that the Yiga Clan were so close was both infuriating and unsettling.

Time passed both slowly and quickly at the same time. A steady, yet infrequent, stream of travelers arrived and departed from Gerudo Town. At one point, Sheik started counting the amount of people who left and entered every hour, based on the position of the sun (it was an extremely rough estimate of an hour's passing, because he had never been good at telling the time using just the sun. He usually needed a sundial to help him out.) He estimated that the net gain of travelers was two per hour, which seemed a lot higher than he would have expected it to be. Travel was getting a lot more dangerous these days. Monster populations were on the rise, and getting more aggressive to boot. But, for the most part, Hyrule was safe.

For the time being. The Calamity was getting closer, but nobody seemed to have any idea when it would actually happen. His best guess was that they had another few months, but sometimes that seemed optimistic.

It likely wasn't going to be enough time. There were still so many unknowns- what Hyrule's army would look like, the Guardians and other pieces of ancient technology, and, biggest of all, Zelda's powers.

He really needed to have an honest conversation with her soon. All he knew about her inability to unlock her powers was from secondhand sources, and they usually weren't very kind about it. 

And then, of course, there was the matter of the Hero. Holding the Master Sword now, Sheik certainly didn't envy his place in all this. The sword was so much heavier than it should have been, and it seemed to hum with unspeakable power. Though he wasn't nearly as attuned to the magical energies of Hyrule as his aunt was, he could sense the magical signature of the sword almost as easily as breathing. As an experiment, Sheik moved his right hand to grip the hilt. It was warm to the touch, despite not having been held by anybody recently. Almost immediately, two intensely conflicting emotions washed over him: boundless courage and bottomless dread. He released the hilt, feeling faintly sick.

Yeah, he definitely didn't envy the Hero for having to wear this sword on his back all day, or even wield it in battle. Maybe it was different for him, being the chosen hero and all, but it had an extremely unnerving presence.

When the Hero finally emerged from the town, anger visible in the tension of his shoulders as he walked, Sheik stood up and met him a little ways away from the tarp. He handed the other knight the bag of his regular clothes, but not the Master Sword. Without a word, the Hero grabbed the bag and stalked off around the corner of the town. Shortly afterwards, he reappeared, wearing his blue tunic and regular brown boots. He carried the bag with his other clothes in his right hand, and now that he wasn't wearing the veil, Sheik could clearly see the angry scowl set into his face.

Sheik chose not to mention that he was still wearing the eyeliner. Instead, he held the Master Sword out to him, glad to be rid of the sheer weight of it.

"She wasn't there." the Hero finally said after he finished buckling the legendary blade onto his back.

"Did the guards-"

"Yes. Urbosa's captain of the guard. Said that. She went out. With the Princess. Earlier today. They should be at. Vah Naboris." His sentences were much more clipped than usual, betraying just how angry he was. "This was. A complete waste. Of time."

"Goddesses damn it.." Sheik pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. Without looking, he jerked a thumb over his shoulder in the general direction of where the towering Divine Beast was. "They've been there all day, I'd bet."

"For your sake. I _really_ hope. You didn't. Have any clue. About this. Otherwise I am. Going to murder you."

"I swear I didn't know about this. Zelda didn't mention anything about her plans beyond that the three of us would be going out to the desert." 

"It was. Kind of. Predictable. But it's. Frustrating. All the same." the Hero ran a hand through his bangs and closed his eyes. After a count of three (it was easy to recognize when someone was doing the three-count, since Sheik had done it himself countless times to manage his anger. It hardly ever worked) he opened his eyes again and started stalking forward in the direction of the Divine Beast.

They made surprisingly good time through the desert, though the Hero grumbled several times about sand getting in his boots. It only took somewhere between thirty and forty five minutes to make it to Vah Naboris. The sun was setting, painting the sky in soft pinks, yellows, and oranges. It really was quite spectacular, but Sheik didn't have long to dwell on it. There was a more pressing problem- how were they supposed to get into the Divine Beast?

"D'you think. There's. A doorbell somewhere?" the Hero asked quietly. He was obviously trying to keep his frustrations in check, as evidenced by the carefully measured tone in his voice.

"Your guess is as good as mine." Sheik shrugged and stared up at the belly of the beast.

As soon as he finished speaking, a weird weightless feeling began to tickle at his legs and fingertips. He frowned and looked down at himself, finding nothing wrong when-

Without any warning whatsoever, his body dissolved into blue strands of light.

What seemed like both seconds and an eternity later, Sheik opened his eyes to find himself completely in one piece and standing on a gently glowing circle inlaid in the floor of what he presumed was Vah Naboris. He looked to his side to check on the Hero- out of reflex, he told himself, not because he could have possibly been _worried_ about him- and was mildly relieved to see that he was intact as well. His face looked a little green, but he appeared to be fine otherwise.

"And _that_ would be. Why I don't. Like the ancient. Technology." the Hero muttered, putting a hand to his forehead. He looked a bit like he was going to pass out, now that Sheik took a second look at him.

"I guess we didn't have to look for the doorbell after all." Sheik responded dryly, taking a cautious step forward. His legs felt a bit wobbly, almost as if he'd just finished one of the endurance exercises that involved a hell of a lot of running or lower-body exertion.

The Hero laughed once and took a quick, calculating glance around the space they found themselves in. "Remind me to. Ask Zelda about a. Potentially less motion-sickness. Inducing way. To warp."

"Is that what it's called?"

"Yeah. Kinda surprised you don't. Know that. Purah being your aunt. And all."

"I don't exactly spend much time with her." Sheik replied, trying not to snap the words at him. "And I'm useless with the ancient technology, anyway."

"You and me both." the Hero wandered forward a few steps, still eying up their new surroundings. "I only know about warping. Because Zelda volunteered me. To be Purah's. Test subject. For one of their short distance. Tests. They were trying to. Build a warp point. Based off of some plans. They found. Or something. I wasn't paying too much. Attention."

"This was the other day when I had to help my aunt teach some of the more advanced Royal Guards a few new techniques, right?"

The Hero nodded. "You didn't miss. Much."

"Zelda probably would've gotten me involved somehow. She always does that. It's one of her ways of showing that she's fond of you." Sheik shook his head, though a little smile had crept onto his face at the memory of one of her more memorable schemes from when they were kids. "Should we go find them now?"

Before the other knight could respond, a glowing blue arrow pointing to their left appeared just above the floor. They shared a perplexed glance, then the Hero shrugged and started following it.

The arrow disappeared as they did so, and soon enough, they found themselves on an open balcony overlooking the desert. Urbosa and Zelda were sitting on a blanket in the center of the space, and Zelda had her head on Urbosa's shoulder. A lantern faintly engraved with Gerudo symbols was set on the top right corner of the blanket. The glint of metal caught Sheik's eye, and he spotted the Thunder Helm resting just within Urbosa's reach, should she need to grab it quickly. 

"I was beginning to wonder how long it would take the two of you to try and check on Zelda." Urbosa said. She didn't turn her head right away, only doing so once she had actually finished talking. "She was researching Naboris all day today. It was the most excited I've seen her in a long time. Though that energy does come at a cost. She's still as the sands now." 

Both knights stood there awkwardly. Sheik was quiet out of apprehension, because Urbosa had made him nervous ever since he had seen her again after returning to the castle. It was likely a result of what his aunt had done over the years that he was waiting for her to get angry at him, but he didn't care to look too far into it. That meant emotions, and he did _not_ deal well with those. The Hero, on the other hand, was silent because he was always silent. Or, well, he was a vast majority of the time.

"That being said, I'm curious. How are the three of you getting along?" Urbosa asked the question casually, but there was an odd expression in her eyes that Sheik couldn't even begin to identify.

"...It's a long story." Sheik muttered after a considerable silence.

A little smile pulled at the corner of Urbosa's mouth that he could see from here. "I thought so. She said the same thing. It isn't easy for her to see that sword on your back, Link. And the two of you constantly fighting doesn't make things much better."

More silence. This time it was more out of embarrassment than anything else.

"Both of you are well on your way to fulfilling your own destinies. And Zelda is not. She takes her frustrations out on you two, but neither of you carry blame in this." Urbosa's gaze softened a little. "She has worked just as hard, and yet has nothing to show for it. Countless hours, she has stood in the frigid water of the two springs accessible to her. And yet..."

"It started after her mother's death, right?" Sheik asked softly.

Urbosa nodded. "Not even a week after."

For a brief moment, the knuckles of his right hand stung with the phantom pain of broken bones. Out of habit, he flexed them to make sure they were still intact.

Even as a six year old, he hadn't been any good at regulating his temper. Unfortunately for his knuckles, the wall always wins the fight.

She gave him a knowing look, but thankfully, she didn't actually say anything more on the subject. She sure was silently telling him that he needed to have a conversation with her, though. "All of that is why she's so focused on her research. If I were in her place- which, honestly, I wish I was, so I might spare her this burden- I would be doing the same thing." Urbosa paused to let them process this information, then continued speaking. "Zelda may not believe she needs protecting, but guarding the Princess is a great honor. No matter what form it takes. Do not forget that."

The Hero nodded stiffly. If it was possible for his expression to turn any more stone-like, it certainly did in that moment. He still hadn't said a word, and looked like he wasn't going to any time soon.

Sheik bowed his head in acknowledgement, forgoing the usual full bow that he was supposed to do in a situation like this. He vaguely remembered that Urbosa had gently teased him about the bowing when he was a kid, since she (like many other Gerudo) weren't too big on gestures of respect.

Once again, Urbosa paused a bit before speaking, her gaze subtly but quickly darting between the two knights. Finally, she looked back out over the desert, noting the way the sun had almost slipped below the horizon. "We should get her inside before it gets too cold. Once the moon rises, a freeze settles over the sands." She fell silent for a moment before an almost devilish smirk appeared on her face- Zelda had gotten her tendency for mischief from _someone,_ after all- and she raised her right hand. Sheik realized what she was about to do a split second before the snap rang out across the small space, sounding impossibly clear before a lightning bolt struck the sand outside with a loud crash. Naboris shook a little from the impact, causing both knights to nearly lose their footing.

The movement (and noise) jolted Zelda awake, and she sat up remarkably quickly for someone who had just been fast asleep. "Urbosa! Is everything alright? What was that?!" She glanced wildly around at her surroundings, confusion plain on her face. When she looked at the knights, she frowned a little in confusion before saying "Since when were you two here? I'm so- what's going on?"

Urbosa tossed her head back and laughed. The Hero glanced over at Sheik, who met his gaze and shrugged.

"Seriously, what...?" Zelda trailed off in the middle of her sentence, stifling a yawn as she did so. "How long was I asleep?"

"Not long, little bird." Urbosa responded, still laughing slightly. "It's getting late, so you and your knights ought to get back to the bazaar."

Zelda looked like she was about to protest, but whatever issue she had with this arrangement was clearly solved in her own head. "Yes, you're right."

The Gerudo Champion stood and then helped Zelda to her feet. She followed behind her as she started walking toward the two knights, then said "Watch your footing. I'm going to have Naboris kneel so it's easier to get down, without using the warp."

At Sheik's side, the Hero let out a small breath of relief. Sheik kept his expression neutral, but he did lean over and nudge him slightly. He nudged him right back without missing a beat, though.

Just as he had straightened up again, the Divine Beast gave an otherworldly cry and started sinking downwards to lie on the desert sands. It was more than a little disorienting, but it was better than the alternative way of getting back outside of Naboris. Urbosa escorted them outside, listening to Zelda's chatter as she pointed out things that she had taken note of using the Sheikah Slate earlier. She seemed a lot happier to have someone to speak with who actually tried to engage in a conversation with her, which Sheik didn't blame her for in the slightest. Then again, he was part of the problem, but...

Ugh. There was time to think about that later.

The trio parted ways with Urbosa as they arrived at the thin, barely-present road in the sands that led to Gerudo Town one way and Kara Kara Bazaar the other way. A noticeable chill had settled into the air, rendering the elixirs that both Sheik and the Hero had needed to drink before their earlier trips across the desert completely useless. Zelda was wearing a special pair of earrings that kept the heat away (they had been a birthday present from Urbosa when she was small,) but they did nothing about the cold. As a result, they hurried back to the bazaar and their rooms in the inn there.

Before Zelda could slip away, Sheik glanced over at the Hero, then called out to her. "Hold on a moment, Zelda."

Wordlessly, she turned her head, one of her hands resting on the handle of the door she stood in front of.

"Do you mind telling either of us when you're going to leave tomorrow morning?" Sheik, rather mercifully on his part, chose not to mention that she would be better off telling the Hero in order to alleviate the other knight's worries. He also chose not to mention what he'd done for the sake of checking up on her, because, well, that was the kind of thing you just didn't _tell_ someone else without consent from the person who did it.

"Yeah. Sure." Zelda sighed. "I'm going to be just fine no matter what, alright? There is no need to worry. Both of you."

"I'm just trying. To follow my orders." the Hero responded quietly.

Zelda's expression tightened for a second before she turned away and slipped into the room behind her. Sheik pinched the bridge of his nose and bit back an annoyed comment directed at the Hero, because they were, for the moment, united in their annoyance with the Princess.

"Good night to you too, Princess." Sheik finally muttered towards the closed door. That actually got a little laugh out of the Hero, which he hadn't actually been expecting.

"Let's just hope. She actually carries through on that. Promise." the Hero said. "Good night, Sheik."

The blonde entered his own room without waiting for a response. Which was good, because Sheik was completely and totally speechless.

Holy Hylia herself. This boy was so hard to read. He could be annoyed with their constant competitions or his snarky comments for the majority of the day, and then he turned around and did something actually nice.

Honestly, it kept Sheik awake for an embarrassing amount of time that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i messed up and forgot that i wasn't supposed to publish a chapter this week, but also this is a very fun chapter, so... is it really a mistake? 
> 
> anyway, the two-week thing will ACTUALLY go into effect for the next chapter :)


	12. team

Surprisingly, Zelda actually carried through on her end of the bargain for the majority of the day. She was very clear about her intentions to go on another survey with Urbosa and expected to be back before the sun set that evening. This left Sheik and the Hero to their own devices for the majority of the day, which they spent in an almost companionable silence. Because he knew where Zelda was, the Hero was a lot less twitchy than he had been yesterday.

Once, they had both been asked to help a merchant display their wares, because they had apparently pulled a muscle in their back and couldn't lift some of the heavier things they wanted to show off. That had proved to be a simple task for the two of them, and Sheik was struck by how well they actually ended up working together despite the little irritated glares they exchanged.

However, no good thing lasts forever, and that proved to be the case once Zelda returned after her survey. She wasn't in a very good mood, and it ended up rubbing off on both knights as well. As the Hero poked at the fire under the cooking pot, Sheik could have sworn that Zelda's gaze was going to bore a hole right through the wooden lid sitting on top of the iron pot. The silence was beginning to get uncomfortable for all the wrong reasons when she abruptly stood up and brushed some of her hair back behind her ear.

"I'm going for a walk." Zelda muttered. "I'll be back in ten minutes. I don't want either of you following me."

The Hero looked up and nodded once, then returned his attention to the pot. He was surprisingly good at cooking for a knight, so he took care of all the food preparation and such whenever they were outside of the castle. Sometimes he would ask for Sheik's help in cutting vegetables or something, because his knives were much better suited for the task and he didn't dare ask to borrow one. 

Once Zelda was out of earshot, the Hero sighed. "What d'you suppose. Her problem is?"

Sheik shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine."

They fell back into silence once more, but it was much less tense now that Zelda was gone. Ten minutes passed easily, but as the minutes went on and there was still no sign of her after she had promised to be back, and both knights cast more frequent glances around the bazaar. It was because of this that Sheik spotted the three Hylian men walking side by side, nothing seeming out of place until he caught the barest glimpse of firelight glinting off of metal.

_Curved_ metal.

He rose to his feet, his hand flying over his shoulder to the hilt of his sword purely out of instinct.

"Sheik?" The Hero was looking at him, clearly concerned.

"Yiga." Sheik hissed in response. He forced his hand to return to his side, not wanting to tip the disguised assassins off, should they happen to glance over to where he was. "Zelda's in trouble."

That caught the Hero's attention. His gaze sharpened and he glanced over at the three men before looking back down at the pot. Without another word, he took it off the fire and placed it in the sand. He doused the fire with another handful of sand, then looked back at Sheik. "Let's go."

Sheik nodded sharply and the Hero stood, both knights casually trailing the disguised Yiga. Not long after that, they spotted Zelda on the horizon, returning to the bazaar, and watched as the three Yiga shared a knowing glance. The soft crackle of their transformation spell reached their ears shortly after the Yiga actually returned to their usual masked forms due to the distance between them.

The three assassins started running. Zelda noticed them as well and stopped dead in her tracks for a second before turning around and running the opposite way. It was obvious that the sand was causing her problems, because she nearly tripped several times. Mentally, Sheik cursed the fact that he hadn't thought to grab some of his knives- not that they would do much good at this distance, since he couldn't throw them quite that far- and drew his sword. Beside him, the Hero did the same, and both knights took off in pursuit of the Yiga.

One of the Yiga split off, clearly intending to cut off Zelda's escape route. Sheik and the Hero had nearly caught up, but the sand was causing them some trouble as well. They glanced over at each other, an unspoken agreement passing between them. There was no time for petty arguing, considering that Zelda's life was literally in danger.

Zelda stumbled and fell, the Yiga closing in on her. The one in front raised his sickle, intending to end her life, and was beginning to bring it down when the Hero jumped the last few feet and brought his sword up. In one motion, he disarmed the Yiga, the sickle flying off and embedding itself in the sand, and cut the assassin across the chest. The Master Sword cut through his armor like it was nothing, and he collapsed to the sands, ominously still. A second later, the sand beneath his motionless body was stained red.

That left Sheik with the remaining two, and after sparing a glance over his shoulder to check the Hero's position, he threw himself into battle.

The first Yiga struck out at him, his sickle flashing dangerously in the setting sun. Sheik blocked the attack with his sword, but the Yiga tilted the blade of his weapon so that it slid down Sheik's sword, obviously intending to cut his hand. Thankfully, the sharp notch at the base of his sword stopped the sickle's advance, and he took that moment to both step in and twist his wrist so that the Yiga was forced to let go of the weapon. To buy himself a little bit of time, he elbowed the assassin in the chest and grabbed the hilt of the sickle which was still locked in his own sword. After freeing it, he tossed the Yiga's weapon aside. 

However, the Yiga wasn't going down without a fight, and he lunged at Sheik, catching him off guard and managing to tackle him. He nearly lost his grip on his sword as he fell, the impact driving his breath out of his lungs and momentarily stunning him. The Yiga brought his fist up to punch him across the face and likely knock him out, but Sheik moved his head at the last second and their fist met nothing but sand. Unfortunately, this resulted in a little bit of sand getting into his eyes, and he reacted blindly, placing his free hand on the Yiga's chest and using a combined effort of his legs and arm to throw him off. He used this opportunity to blindly get back to his feet, since the sand in his eyes made it too painful to open them.

He cursed and dragged a hand across his eyes, which only made the problem worse. Recalling his lessons on what to do, should he suddenly be blinded, Sheik took a deep breath and focused, temporarily sending him into a meditative state. He felt more than heard the Yiga's footsteps as he charged at him, his retrieved sickle whistling through the air and heading for his neck. Sheik caught the assassin's wrist at the last second, halting the advance of his weapon before it could harm him. He pivoted, reversed his grip on his sword, and brought his arm back, slanting the blade ever so slightly to ensure that it caused the most damage as it entered the Yiga's gut.

His sword punched through the Yiga's armor easily enough. He felt blood on his hand a second later, and the quiet grunt of pain that the Yiga let out as he removed his sword was satisfying, in a sick sort of way. The sickle fell to the sand with a soft thump, and his body followed soon after.

Served him right. Fucking blood-traitor.

The sound of clashing metal reached his ears, seeming to come from his left side. Still effectively blind, Sheik waited for a second before approaching the last Yiga and the Hero.

"Heads-up!" the Hero hissed, off to his left. Sheik ducked, hearing the Master Sword whistle through the space he had just occupied a split second later. He jumped to the side as the last Yiga's sickle attempted to split him in two, then lashed out with his now-bloody sword. It met nothing but air, then there was suddenly a hand on the back of his scarf, dragging him out of the way.

Things were clearly moving too quickly for him to keep up like this, so he forced himself to open his eyes, ignoring the horrible stinging pain and how badly they were watering because of it. The Hero was focused on fending off the Yiga's assault, but he shot a glance over his shoulder at him and jerked his head to the side in a silent cue. Sheik nodded, realizing exactly what the Hero wanted him to do, and he waited until the other knight very narrowly dodged an attack from the Yiga. Time seemed to slow down, with the Hero dropping to the ground and rolling to the side to give him a clear shot. Sheik performed the sequence of hand signs that would summon the phantom knives and shouted the command word, a sharp-sounding Ancient Sheikah word that practically buzzed with magic.

Ghostly knives- three of them, considering that he wasn't quite as skilled with controlling his magic and using it for a combat art- flew through the air and struck the Yiga. Two ended up in his shoulders, and one split through his mask right where his left eye would be. The assassin collapsed to the sands, just as still as his companions were.

Sheik staggered a little, placing a hand to his head and wincing. A dull headache was already forming there, a sign that he'd used too much magic. Combat arts drained his magic really quickly, despite the fact that Impa said that he naturally had quite a bit of magic. That was natural for his family, but he was absolutely terrible at applying it, so he got closer to burnout a lot faster than he should have. And his eyes hurt. Overall, he was in terrible shape considering that he had only fought two Yiga assassins. How pathetic.

"You good?" the Hero asked as he stood and dusted himself off a little bit.

"Yeah. Just fine." Sheik responded, though he was clearly lying.

"No, you're not." Zelda's voice cut through whatever the Hero was going to say. She had stood up as well, and everything about her pose suggested nonchalance despite the lingering fear in her eyes. "Here." She tossed a water skin over to him, which he barely managed to catch before it hit the ground after initially failing to grab it. "Wash your eyes out. I saw you get sand in them."

Sheik hesitated for a second, staring blankly at the bloody sword in his hand (and, for that matter, the blood on his glove) and trying to decide if it was worth sheathing it without cleaning the blood off first. Finally, with a sigh, he walked over to the nearest Yiga's corpse and pulled the dead assassin's left glove off. He used that as a makeshift cloth, wiping the blade clean and sheathing it once he finished. With that done, he stood up and turned his back to his companions, pulling his mask down and unscrewing the top of the water skin.

Without further ado, he poured some of the contents onto his face, forcing his eyes to stay open even though it stung beyond belief. He used his non-bloody hand to grab his scarf and dry his face enough to put the mask back on. Now he could actually see without pain, despite how raw his eyes felt. Sheik turned back to the Hero and Zelda, and was relieved to see that she had relaxed significantly now.

"Are we just gonna. Leave 'em here?" the Hero asked, disdain clear in his voice as he toed at the limp arm of the first Yiga.

"I'd say yes, but the people of the bazaar don't need to see this." Sheik pulled off his blood-stained glove and sighed. Already, they were starting to attract attention, because a fight like that couldn't go unnoticed for long. "I can try using a bit of magic to move the sand to cover them. It would be a lot faster than doing it by hand."

"Can you do it?"

"Well, yes." Sheik scoffed. "Of course I can do it. Is it a good idea? Not exactly, considering I used too much magic on that combat art, but it doesn't matter."

Zelda gave him The Look and sighed, but she didn't say anything.

"Alright. Well. If you say so..." the Hero shrugged and cast a glance around at the three bodies. He started dragging the one at his feet towards the first Yiga, then repeated the process until there were three dead assassins in a neat little pile.

Sheik took a deep breath, preparing himself to cast the spell, when Zelda abruptly held up her hand and darted toward the bodies. The Hero made a small noise of surprise, likely about to tell her to back off, when she bent down to grab something.

She straightened up, and the sight of the little paper tag waving in the wind brought all of Sheik's preparations to a screeching halt. "Use this. I don't want you to burn out."

"It's fine if I do, seriously-" Sheik protested, only to silence himself as Zelda scoffed.

"No. It's not. If you burn yourself out, you wouldn't be doing your job very well." Her gaze softened a little as she continued. "Look, I know you-"

"Stop." Sheik whispered. "Please."

He hated how small his voice sounded, but he couldn't bring himself to care too much right now. The fight had taken a lot out of him, but most of the exhaustion dragging at his bones was mental rather than physical. There were so many things he needed to think about and not nearly enough time.

Inevitably, his gaze flickered over to the Hero, who was watching this whole exchange silently. As always. No matter how much he tried to keep himself from doing that, it happened anyway.

Fighting alongside him had felt so natural. They'd only been sparring together for a few weeks, but Sheik already knew his fighting style almost like the back of his hand. It was almost as if the two of them were two halves of the same person in battle. This only served to further confuse the hell out of him, because he was pretty sure that you weren't supposed to like fighting _alongside_ your rival.

Enough. It's really not this deep.

Still, Sheik couldn't shake the nagging feeling that he was terribly wrong about who the Hero was.

Zelda walked up to him, effectively pulling him out of his thoughts- Hylia, he'd ended up looking to the Hero for _reassurance,_ and then he'd gotten lost in thought- and held the slip of paper out to him. "This is much safer for you. I'm sorry that I have to ask you to do this, but I don't want to see you seriously hurt yourself doing something so damn stupid."

The sincerity in her voice almost hurt to hear. No, not almost. It _did_ hurt. He was used to recklessly endangering himself without a second thought and not expecting anybody to care, but this...

"Alright. Fine." Sheik sighed and took the paper. Blood red Sheikah runes were inscribed on the page, like he would expect to see on a tag like this. However, they were written with much sharper lines, and the actual color of the ink was unsettling. This was a more aggressive spell than he was used to. Actually, in some places, the runes were almost indecipherable. Then again, he wasn't all that great at reading Ancient Sheikah, which all the spells and combat arts were written in, and this Yiga dialect wasn't helping matters.

Good thing that all one had to do in order to activate the tag was feed it a little bit of magic. Summoning tags were useful for that reason. It would probably take the three Yiga back to wherever their hideout was, but it was named in code on the tag and Sheik could only decipher half of it.

Sheik pictured siphoning off a tiny fraction of the magic he had left and feeding it to the tag. The runes started glowing, the harsh lines looking like bloody cuts. Before he said the command word, he placed the tag on top of the three bodies. They disappeared with a puff of red light and smoke, the tag itself burning up as it was used.

Despite how little magic he had used, his headache only intensified and he began to feel a little dizzy. But, determined not to show any more vulnerability in front of the Hero, he shrugged off Zelda's concern and forced himself to start walking once the Hero suggested that they get back to the bazaar before any other Yiga decided to try their luck.

They didn't spend much time together after they ate. Zelda hardly ate anything before mumbling something about how she didn't feel well and wanted to go to bed early. Sheik at least waited until he had finished his own food before going after her, because he knew she wasn't going to be sleeping.

"Do you want me to clean your sword?" the Hero asked as Sheik stood up. He had finished eating a while ago- he was an extraordinarily fast eater- and had clearly been waiting for him to stand up and go after Zelda.

Normally, Sheik would have been vehemently opposed to the idea of the Hero looking after his sword, but... he was exhausted and likely wouldn't get around to it until tomorrow morning, and by then he'd have a lot more work to do. Also, he was a huge stickler about blade maintenance. "Sure. You remember what I said about how I maintain it, right?"

He had expected the answer to feel bitter on his tongue, but it didn't. Goddesses, he was all kinds of confused today. Silently, he resolved to make a better effort to keep the Hero at a distance tomorrow.

"Yeah." the Hero nodded and reached over to gather the discarded plates left by his companions. "I'll be careful."

"Thank you, Link." Sheik unbuckled his sword belt and handed it to him, bowing his head slightly as he did so. When he didn't take it right away, he frowned and looked back up at him. "Everything okay?"

"You said my name." the Hero responded, an odd little smile on his face.

Had he?

Oh.

Oh shit.

"I- don't get used to it." Sheik grumbled, looking away from the Hero in embarrassment. 

Still smiling, the Hero reached forward and took his sword, carefully accepting it with two hands. "Wasn't planning on it. Good luck with. The Princess."

Sheik nodded once in acknowledgement, seeing as he was still thoroughly flustered and doubted he'd be able to say anything remotely intelligent at the moment. He turned away from him and started walking to the inn, trying to steel himself for the conversation to come and also get over what had just happened.

He entered the inn and walked down the hall, stopping in front of the curtained-off room where Zelda was staying. For a moment, he studied the colorful lilac and light blue patterns on the curtain, admiring how it looked as the wind blew through it. Really, he was just getting himself distracted so he had an excuse to delay asking if she was still awake. Which was ridiculous. He's being ridiculous.

"Hey, Zelda?" Sheik finally asked, his voice quiet but still cutting through the silence with ease. "I need to talk to you. Is that okay?"

The next few seconds seemed to drag on forever. Sheik was acutely aware of the blood still on his glove from earlier and the exhaustion from using so much magic and the fight itself, and he almost had to fight the urge to run. Hylia, why was it so hard for him to even think about having a conversation with his oldest friend about _feelings?_

Finally, Zelda pulled the curtain back. She looked tired- no, not tired. She looked beyond exhausted, and he was tempted to just say that he'd come back later. Tomorrow, or something. But no. He'd come this far. There was no stopping now. He was committed, and warriors don't back down on their commitments. She nodded and gestured for him to come inside, closing the curtain behind him once he did so.

"If this is about what I think it is, it's about damn time." Zelda said, turning to face him and laughing once as she spoke.

"Well, yeah." Sheik smiled sheepishly under his mask. "I'm sorry. For... a lot of things."

"There's no need for you to apologize. I'm not mad at you." Zelda responded quickly. "I'm sorry if I gave you that impression. I'm just frustrated with a lot of things, and I've been taking it out on both of you." 

"No. I need to apologize for ten years ago, and for how I've been acting lately. You're my best friend. I shouldn't have been trying to push you away." Sheik didn't exactly want to look at her while he spoke, because he felt like it would only make this harder, but he forced himself to stand up straighter and carry himself like a warrior. "I've been an idiot. No way around that."

"Did you hit your head?" Zelda asked, a comically concerned look on her face. "I never would have thought you capable of such a confession!"

Sheik laughed, any of his previous worries disappearing. It was really good to see that Zelda's sense of humor had remained intact, at least. "I must have."

"I thought so." Zelda stayed cheerful for a little while longer before her expression became more serious. "So do you want me to say anything or should I just shut up and let you talk?"

"Either one is fine. I don't really care."

"Okay."

"There's a lot to say and I don't really know how to say it." Sheik began, nervously glancing down at his feet despite his best efforts.

"That's alright." Zelda said, reaching out and resting a hand on his shoulder. "Take your time."

"Right. Yeah." He took a deep breath and closed his eyes briefly, gathering all his thoughts before pulling his mask down and starting to speak.


	13. hurt

Because of the threat of the Yiga, Zelda had ended up cutting her trip to Gerudo Desert short. Instead of the week that had been planned, she had ended up returning to the castle the day after the attack, on Urbosa's suggestion. She had spent the last two weeks holed up in the castle, prohibited from leaving by her father just in case the Yiga tried anything else.

If there was one thing that King Rhoam was bad at, however, it was getting Zelda to obey any of his restrictions that she deemed unnecessary. Which was exactly why Sheik and the Hero found themselves hiking in the Eldin region alongside her, just outside of the area where it got hot enough to make the use of elixirs necessary.

As they walked, Sheik found himself uncharacteristically distracted by thoughts of the ancient Rito scroll that Kass had shown to him in their most recent lesson. It contained the notes to a song he had never come across, and trying to decipher the ancient writing was driving him crazy. Actually, he had very nearly skipped today's hike in favor of studying the scroll, but even recalling the memory sent a fresh twinge of shame through him. How dare he even _think_ about neglecting his duty. 

Ahead of the two knights, Zelda was talking excitedly about a new experiment that she had heard about from Purah (and the lab report that his eccentric aunt had slipped to her after its completion) and the implications of it. She mentioned something about using the Sheikah Slate, which she held in her hands as she spoke, to control the Guardians in bulk, but Sheik wasn't really paying enough attention to retain any of the specifics.

Without realizing it, Sheik glanced over to the Hero, as he had found himself doing more frequently. To his surprise, he looked slightly on edge, judging by the way his brow was furrowed and his mouth was set in a slight frown. As Sheik watched, his hand moved up to grip the hilt of the Master Sword.

"Sheik?" the Hero asked, sounding very tense. "Can you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Sheik paused and listened closely, but he didn't hear anything out of the ordinary. The downside of using an eightfold blade over a kodachi was that the sword itself wasn't imbued with the same magical signature, which was what allowed the wielder to sense their surroundings just by gripping the handle. Evidently, the Master Sword had a similar effect, which didn't surprise him in the slightest. 

The Hero cursed under his breath and stopped walking. Zelda, having noticed their brief exchange and the fact that he was no longer moving, stopped as well and turned to face him.

"Behind you!" Zelda exclaimed, her eyes widening. 

Then several things happened all at once, almost too quickly for his eyes to follow. The Hero jumped back right as a massive spear slammed into the rock where he had been standing. Sheik barely had time to register that a White-Maned Lynel was the monster gripping the spear before time slowed, activating that peculiar state that the Hero entered whenever he narrowly dodged an attack and preventing anybody else from moving very quickly for a split second. His attacks were quicker than lightning itself, and the Lynel roared in pain as time resumed once more. Two answering roars met it, along with what sounded like fifteen or so bokoblins screeching.

Fuck.

Sheik locked eyes with the Hero for a second, and he jerked his head towards the Lynel he was facing off with. "A little help?" he hissed, jumping to avoid another jab of the Lynel's spear and narrowly avoiding hitting his head on a rock.

He nodded sharply and looked up and down the Lynel's body, trying to approximate where its pressure points would be. Damn, if only he'd paid more attention in monster anatomy... oh well, there was no time to dwell on it now. Sheik slipped a few needles out of the box and threw them, putting as much force into the throw as possible. They landed in a fairly neat cluster on the back of the Lynel's right foreleg, approximately where the joint was. It roared and spun to face Sheik, and he resisted the urge to go right for a combat art, instead drawing his sword and jumping up, swiping at its chest. Due to the thickness of its hide, his blade only left a shallow cut despite how sharp it was. At that moment, the Hero took advantage of its distraction and actually slid _underneath_ it, quickly slashing its stomach and getting out from under it again.

That proved to be the end of the first Lynel- only now did Sheik recall that the stomach of a Lynel was its most vulnerable part. Still, it had been a very impressive feat. He felt oddly... proud, watching the Hero like that. But, of course, it also cemented the fact that he needed to do something at least as impressive as that.

This was going to be fun.

Just like he had observed in the desert a couple weeks ago, they worked very well together in battle. Fighting back to back as they were, their movements were perfectly matched, and they made short work of the bokoblins without any significant injuries outside of a few bruises here and there. When it came to the Lynels, though, they were forced to split up after a particularly devious coordinated attack by the two behemoths.

Sheik's main goal was to pester the Lynel and tire it out so he could deal a finishing blow, because he wasn't strong enough to pull off a feat like the Hero had earlier. Which was unfortunate to admit, but he couldn't dwell on that now. Not when he could literally die. So, he kept himself at a distance from the monster for the most part, throwing needles until he ran out and then knives. Occasionally he darted in to score a hit along the Lynel's side, and by the time he heard a roar of pain from the one that the Hero was facing off against, his Lynel was bleeding from multiple wounds that likely would've felled a lesser beast.

Shortly afterwards, the Hero joined him in his fight. Things were going well, and it looked like they had the Lynel on the ropes, until the Hero deflected its massive blade wrong. It scored a nasty-looking gash on his upper arm, and he stumbled back, cursing under his breath. Sheik stepped in to block a follow-up swing, but the Hero gripped the back of his armor and yanked him back as the Lynel struck.

"You're strong. But not strong enough. To block one of those. You'd die." the Hero hissed through gritted teeth before Sheik could protest. "Now come on. Together."

His ability to push through pain was quite remarkable, as Sheik had observed in the past. He was able to disregard the wound on his right arm completely as he jumped up and stabbed the Master Sword through the Lynel's skull, which took a tremendous amount of strength to do. Right as he did that, Sheik drove his sword into the beast's chest, managing to pierce its hide and inflict a crippling wound. Not that it mattered, thanks to the sword in its head.

After the beast collapsed, the Hero freed the Master Sword and wiped the blade off enough to resheathe it. Sheik followed suit with his own sword, and he was about to start walking back to where Zelda stood when the Hero stopped him.

"Sheik. You're bleeding."

Confused, Sheik put a hand to his forehead, where the Hero had indicated the cut was, only to wince as his fingers made contact with the injury. How had he not noticed that before? Actually, no. That was a trick question. He still didn't feel it because of the adrenaline rushing through his body, but the longer he waited, the more pain he felt. Not just from his forehead, but the various bruises all over him. "I'd say the same to you, but I would hope that you've already noticed."

His words were met with a little smile. "Thanks for that."

"Anything for you, Link." Sheik responded before he even knew what he was saying. As soon as the words left his mouth, he flushed bright red and looked down. Holy Hylia, where the hell had that come from?

And, to make matters worse, he wasn't being completely sarcastic with that response. He hurriedly buried those thoughts, but it didn't matter. The fact that they came up in the first place...

No.

The Hero- no, _Link,_ he couldn't keep calling him the Hero after that- laughed and shook his head. "Did you also. Get a concussion. In addition to that cut?"

"I'll get back to you on that one." Sheik muttered in response, still thoroughly embarrassed by what he'd just said.

Their conversation was (mercifully) cut short by Zelda rushing up to the two of them. "Sit down, both of you. Let me take a look at your injuries." The tone of her voice left no room for argument, so both knights did as they were told and found a flatter piece of ground to sit on.

"Take a look at Link first." Sheik said once he was sitting. "I'll be alright."

Zelda started to agree, then cut herself off to stare incredulously at him. Her eyes asked a silent question- _since when are you actually using his name?_ \- and he shook his head slightly, hoping to convey that he'd explain later. It really just made his head hurt more, but Zelda seemed to get the message. "Well, in that case... Link, would you roll up your sleeve?"

While she took a look at Link's injury, Sheik let his mind wander a little bit. Which was never a good idea, as the line of thought that he ended up following proved. Also, the blood from the cut was starting to become a problem, since it was dripping into his eye and probably staining his scarf. He was so zoned out that he hardly even noticed as Zelda moved to sit next to him, but as soon as he felt her hands in his hair, moving it aside so she could get a closer look at the cut, he flinched and grabbed her wrist out of reflex.

"It's alright." Zelda said softly, which soothed some of the initial... well, he didn't want to say panic, but that was pretty close to what he was feeling at the moment. "I'm sorry that I startled you."

He let go of Zelda's wrist and glanced over at Link, mostly to make sure that he hadn't noticed that little exchange. Unfortunately, it turned out that he had, which irritated him. Still, just looking at him was... reassuring, but he pushed past that almost as soon as the thought passed through his mind.

Once she had cleaned the wound up, she sat back on her heels and waited, trying to gauge how badly it was still bleeding. It hadn't been too bad in the first place, but scalp injuries tended to bleed a lot regardless of severity. Thankfully, it was starting to stop, but he did feel a little bit off. Which made sense, but it was still irritating. Hopefully the dizzy feeling would go away soon.

"You're both lucky." Zelda finally said, reattaching the Sheikah Slate to her belt and studying both knights. After a second, her slightly harsh expression softened, and a little half smile touched her face. "When we get back to the castle, I want you both to go to the medical wing. I don't want either of you getting an infection."

Her tone left no room for argument, so both knights nodded. Or, in Sheik's case, gave her a tired thumbs-up, because he didn't want to move his head too much more than was necessary.

"Also, I'd prefer it if the two of you were more careful in the future. Honestly! First the fight with the Yiga a couple weeks ago, now this." Zelda added. "Just because you're both very skilled doesn't give you the right to charge headlong into a fight. Constantly getting yourselves hurt for my sake won't get either of you anywhere."

"Better us than you." Link responded.

"And even then, it should be me before either of you." Sheik said quietly.

Before Link could argue that point, Zelda sighed and shook her head. "You men and your egos. Look, just try to keep yourselves out of trouble, alright? Constant reckless endangerment of your lives isn't healthy."

Reckless.

The word stung, even though he isn't hearing it from his aunt. After so many years of hearing it spoken in a harsh tone, usually accompanied by-

Sheik's shoulders tensed up and he looked down, completely missing whatever Link said in response to that. He obviously said something, but he just... didn't register it. Hylia herself, he needed to get a grip. Zelda didn't mean it in a malicious way, like his aunt usually did. She was just worried about him.

That was certainly new. Or, well, it felt new. Not getting that kind of support for years would do that to a person.

Link's hand on his shoulder caught him off guard, but he was grateful for the distraction. Sometimes, when he caught himself slipping downwards like this, it was difficult to pull himself back together through sheer force of will alone. Distractions helped a lot, so he almost always ended up training.

"Everything okay?" Link asked quietly.

"Yes. I'm fine." Sheik responded. He was careful to keep his sentences short to avoid any unnecessary displays of emotion- _you can't even do this right, what a disgrace_ \- and it seemed to work well enough. At least it threw Link off his trail. Zelda probably saw right through him, but she always did.

"In that case. We should. Probably get back to. The castle." Link looked over to Zelda as if seeking her approval. "We're just. Tempting fate by. Sitting like this."

Zelda nodded, though regret flickered across her face for a moment. "Yes, that would be best. I suppose it was foolish to suggest this location for a hike, considering how many more monsters are out here these days."

"Do you think it's because of Ganon?"

"It must be. The rise in attacks, coupled with the increased sightings, is surely an omen of the Calamity. Father is trying to cover it up, but..." Zelda trailed off, unwilling to finish that thought. "In any case, I have faith in Purah and Robbie. They'll come up with something."

She didn't add anything about her own powers, but she didn't need to. Both knights knew what she was confronted with. Or, at least the basics of it, as in Link's case. Sheik didn't actually know how much the other knight was aware of, and he didn't intend to ask. What Zelda chose to tell him (or not) was her business, and her business alone.

"So will you." Link said, not a hint of judgement in his voice. Just unflinching- and understanding- support.

"Yes." Zelda responded with a short nod of her head, though doubt laced through her voice. "I must, and so I will."

"I believe in you." Sheik (somewhat awkwardly) patted Zelda on the shoulder and tried to smile reassuringly. It probably didn't work out too well, but most of his expression was covered by the mask anyway. "I mean, you've always been able to do whatever you set your mind to. This is no different."

That drew a little laugh out of her, which Sheik was glad to see. The despondent look that never failed to cross her face whenever the subject of her powers came up was difficult to watch. 

"...Yes, I suppose I have." A wry smile touched Zelda's face as she responded. The expression faded quickly, quickly replaced by her usual casual nonchalance. She stood up, careful to watch her step lest she accidentally place her foot on a rock and twist her ankle. Wouldn't that be just fantastic? "In any case, I ought to suggest that a patrol comes up here. Clearly the monster population up here has been allowed to flourish for far too long."

She's deflecting. That much was obvious, but Sheik didn't push it. Instead, he just stood up and did his best to hide the wobble in his step as he did so. The lightheadedness hadn't gone away yet, and it was likely going to be a miserable walk back to the castle while he tried to hide the extent of how terrible he felt. Hylia herself, all he'd done was lose a little blood. The fact that he'd been hit on the head didn't really change the fact that he was pathetic for feeling so sick over nothing. He'd sustained worse injuries before.

Get it together, damn it.

Link stood up as well, obviously having a much easier time moving around than he was. Of course. A little scratch isn't going to stop _him._

Walking back to the castle ended up taking more time than the initial trip out to this part of Eldin had in the first place. They were moving a little slower on purpose, seeing as Zelda was the one who usually set the pace, and she didn't want to aggravate the injuries that either knight had sustained. Sheik was torn between appreciating the gesture, thanks to the way that nobody had really bothered to do that, even before his parents' deaths, and feeling irritated that he was being treated like he was made of glass all of a sudden. But, in the end, the exhaustion that he was trying his hardest to ignore made it really hard to care about looking tough, and it was awfully nice to just slow down and prevent himself from getting hurt worse...

By the time that they slipped through the castle gates, the sun hung low in the sky, painting the landscape in the soft oranges and yellows of dusk. The dying light glinted off of the guards' armor and nearly blinded Sheik, which only added to the dull ache he'd noticed in the back of his skull in the last hour or so.

After making their way through the castle up to Zelda's quarters, she paused in front of her door and turned to face the two knights behind her. "Right. Medical wing, both of you. Do I have to walk you down there?"

"No." Sheik responded. At the same time, Link shook his head to indicate that no, she really didn't need to do that.

"Great. See you in the morning, then." Zelda offered them a brief smile, then turned and entered her room without another word.

They both stood there for a second longer. Sheik was weighing his options- was it really worth it to disobey Zelda's request just to prove a point? The answer was, of course, no. It was incredibly petty, and he didn't want to do that to her. He'd save all that for Link.

"You think she'd be. Upset. If we didn't. Take the night off of. Sparring?" Link asked, breaking the slightly awkward silence that had settled over them now that Zelda wasn't there.

"Without a doubt."

"I'm already. On thin ice as it is. Wanna call it off, then?"

"That might be for the best, yeah." 

Strangely, Sheik found himself feeling almost... disappointed. But that couldn't be the case, because any extra time he had to spend in Link's presence was a fresh reminder of his failures. How could he be disappointed about missing _that?_ It certainly wasn't like he possibly enjoyed their sparring sessions, outside of the fact that he had the opportunity to train with the wielder of the sword that seals the darkness. Link was a very skilled swordsman, and he appreciated the challenge. But that's all it was.

...right?

Link started walking and Sheik moved to follow him, mostly out of habit by this point. 

It was a good thing he could just blame all of this on the hit to the head that he'd taken, otherwise he would've been a lot more concerned about himself.


End file.
